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A printer comprising: an inkjet printhead having an ink inlet, an ink outlet and a plurality of nozzles; a priming system for priming the printhead, the priming system comprising: an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to the ink inlet via an u

A printer comprising: an inkjet printhead having an ink inlet, an ink outlet and a plurality of nozzles; a priming system for priming the printhead, the priming system comprising: an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to the ink inlet via an upstream ink line; an air pump having a pump outlet communicating with a headspace above the ink in the chamber; a sensor positioned for sensing ink in a downstream ink line connected to the ink outlet, the sensor cooperating with the pump such that the pump is shut off when the sensor senses any ink; and means for minimizing phantom sensing of ink caused by ink bubbles in the downstream ink line, wherein, in a priming configuration, the pump is configured to positively pressurize the headspace until the sensor senses ink.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A printer comprising: an inkjet printhead having an ink inlet, an ink outlet and a plurality of nozzles; a priming system for priming said printhead, said priming system comprising: an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to said ink inlet via an upstream ink lin

The invention claimed is: 1. A printer comprising: an inkjet printhead having an ink inlet, an ink outlet and a plurality of nozzles; a priming system for priming said printhead, said priming system comprising: an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to said ink inlet via an upstream ink line; an air pump having a pump outlet communicating with a headspace above said ink in said chamber, and a pump inlet in fluid communication with said ink outlet; a sensor positioned for sensing ink in a downstream ink line connected to said ink outlet, said sensor cooperating with said pump such that said pump is shut off when said sensor senses any ink; and means for minimizing phantom sensing of ink caused by ink bubbles in said downstream ink line, wherein, in a priming configuration, said pump is configured to positively pressurize said headspace until said sensor senses ink. 2. The printer of claim 1, wherein said ink chamber is a pressure-regulating chamber, and said priming system further comprises: an ink reservoir in fluid communication with an inlet port of said pressure-regulating chamber, said ink reservoir being positioned above a level of ink in said chamber; and a valve positioned between said ink reservoir and said inlet port, wherein, in said priming configuration, said valve is configured to be shut. 3. The printer of claim 1, wherein said pump is reversible for effecting de-priming operations. 4. The printer of claim 3, wherein, in a de-priming configuration, said pump is reversed and ink is pulled from said printhead towards said ink chamber. 5. The printer of claim 1, further comprising means for controlling an amount of ink flowing from said downstream ink line back into said pressure-regulating chamber. 6. The printer of claim 5, wherein said means is selected from the group comprising: an electronically-controlled valve; a check-valve; and a loop section passing below a level of ink in said chamber. 7. The printer of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an optical sensor. 8. The printer of claim 1, wherein said means for minimizing phantom sensing of ink comprises a bubble-bursting box, said box comprising: one or more bubble-bursting chambers having a respective chamber inlet; and an air outlet. 9. The printer of claim 8, wherein said sensor is positioned to sense ink above a bubble-bursting point in at least one of said bubble-bursting chambers. 10. The printer of claim 9, wherein said at least one bubble-bursting chamber is transparent. 11. The printer of claim 8, wherein said air outlet is: open to atmosphere; or in fluid communication with a pump inlet of said pump, thereby enabling both pushing and pulling of ink through said printhead during a priming or a de-priming operation. 12. The printer of claim 8, wherein said bubble-bursting box comprises a plurality of bubble-bursting chambers, each chamber corresponding to a respective ink channel of said ink supply system. 13. The printer of claim 8, wherein each bubble-bursting chamber is dimensioned to promote expansion and bursting of ink bubbles entering said chamber via said chamber inlet. 14. The printer of claim 13, wherein each bubble-bursting chamber has curved sidewalls, wherein a curvature of said sidewalls is greater than a curvature of said conduit. 15. The printer of claim 14, wherein each bubble-bursting chamber is generally crescent-shaped, thereby maximizing said curvature in a minimal volume. 16. The printer of claim 15, wherein said bubble-bursting box comprises an air chamber in fluid communication with said bubble-bursting chambers via an air channel defined in a roof of said box, said air outlet being defined in said air chamber. 17. The printer of claim 16, wherein said air channel is a hydrophobic serpentine channel comprising at least one ink-trapping stomach, said air channel minimizing transfer of ink to said air chamber when said box is tipped. 18. The printer of claim 1, wherein said printhead is a replaceable pagewidth printhead. 19. The printer of claim 18, wherein said printhead comprises one or more printhead integrated circuits mounted on an ink distribution manifold, each printhead integrated circuit comprising a plurality of nozzles, and said manifold having said ink inlet and said ink outlet.