A method and structure for depriming an ink jet printhead. To deprime ink from a printhead at a location between a nozzle (aperture) and a particulate filter (rock screen), a force (pressure) is applied to the ink. The pressure can either be a positive pressure applied to the nozzle from the outside of the aperture plate or a negative pressure (vacuum) applied at a location upstream from the particulate filter. Because openings within the particulate filter are each smaller than the nozzle, there exists a force which is sufficient to move a meniscus of the ink from the nozzle back to the particulate filter, but which is insufficient to move the meniscus beyond the particulate filter, for example due to a surface tension of the meniscus of the ink.