An ink jet printer has a printhead with ink droplet ejecting nozzles that moves in a two dimensional direction across a movable recording medium or intermediate surface. The recording medium or intermediate surface is moved in a first direction with a constant velocity. The printhead is spaced from and is parallel to the recording medium or intermediate surface during the two dimensional movement of the printhead. During the printing process, the printhead is moved concurrently in the first direction at a velocity equal to the velocity of the recording medium or intermediate surface and in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. This two dimensional movement of the printhead causes the ink droplets ejected therefrom to print swaths of information across the recording medium or intermediate surface that are perpendicular to the first direction.