Air entrained within the pond of a coating applicator is influenced toward a designated region for removal. The region is formed by a recessed air collector which sets up a high-recirculation, low-pressure zone within the pond. Entrained air bubbles migrate to the collector. The collected air and excess coating is drawn out of the collector cavity by a plurality of perforations which discharge to a collection cavity at a lower pressure or partial vacuum. The collector structure may be employed in various coater/size press configurations.
