A pagewidth printhead assembly comprises an ink conduit structure defining a plurality of longitudinal ink ducts; a pagewidth printhead mounted to said ink conduit structure on a bottom surface thereof, the pagewidth printhead being in fluid communication with the ink conduit structure; a plurality of inlet ports provided adjacent and substantially planar to the ink conduit structure and the plurality of longitudinal ink ducts; and an ink distribution structure including a plurality of ink channels connecting each of the plurality of longitudinal ink ducts with respective inlet ports. The ink channels extend from respective inlet ports above the ink conduit structure so as to feed into respective longitudinal ink ducts from above.