An intermediate transfer member for digital offset printing, comprising a cured silicone release layer formed by curing a curable silicone release formulation comprising a polyalkylsiloxane containing at least two vinyl groups; an at least partially fluorinated polyalkylsiloxane containing at least two vinyl groups; a polyalkylsiloxane cross-linker containing at least two Si-H bonds; and a catalyst or photoinitiator; wherein fluorine atoms provide at least 2.5 wt.% of the total weight of polyalkylsiloxane compounds. There is also described a method of producing an intermediate transfer member, and a curable silicone release formulation for an intermediate transfer member.

A conductive roller includes a support member, an elastic layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the support member, and a surface layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer. The elastic layer includes a cylindrical elastic foam and a conductive covering layer covering an exposed surface of the elastic foam and has a volume resistance value of 10.sup.5Ω or less at an applied voltage of 10 V. The elastic foam has a conductive particle content of 1% by mass or less based on the total mass of the elastic foam.

In an example of the disclosure, service rotation of a drum along a longitudinal axis of the drum is caused. The service rotation is to apply a centrifugal force upon a liquid held by the drum. The centrifugal force pushes gas bubbles in the drum away from a curved surface of the drum and towards the longitudinal drum axis. The gas bubbles evacuate from the drum via an outlet tube positioned adjacent to the longitudinal drum axis. A production rotation of the drum is caused after the service rotation.

An electrophotographic member includes a base layer and an elastic layer on the base layer, wherein the elastic layer includes a matrix rubber, an ionic liquid including an anion and a cation, and an inorganic layered double hydroxide compound, wherein the anion is at least one selected from the group consisting of structural formulae (1) to (3), the cation is at least one selected from the group consisting of structural formulae (4) to (7), and the inorganic layered double hydroxide compound has an average value of interlayer distances of 4 Å or larger and 8 Å or smaller, which are measured by XRD.

A transfer device includes a transfer roller and a transfer counter roller. The transfer roller has an elastic layer, contacts with and separates from an image bearer including a belt-shaped elastic body, and nips a recording medium with the image bearer. The transfer counter roller has an elastic layer, is disposed facing the transfer roller, and nips the image bearer with the transfer roller. The transfer counter roller or the transfer roller is applied with a bias to transfer the toner image. Each of the elastic layers of the transfer roller and the transfer counter roller has an Asker C hardness of 75 or less. A difference in thickness between the elastic layers of the transfer roller and the transfer counter roller is ±3% or less.

An electrophotographic member comprising a base layer and an elastic layer on the base layer. The elastic layer comprises a silicone rubber, at least one first cation selected from the group consisting of a cation of Structural Formula (1-1) and a cation of Structural Formula (1-2), at least one second cation selected from the group consisting of a cation of Structural Formula (2-1) and a cation of Structural Formula (2-2), and an anion.

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An intermediate transfer belt that can bear a toner image includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes a first surface located on an outer peripheral surface side of the first layer. The second layer is provided on a side of the first surface, transmits light, and includes a second surface. The first surface includes first grooves that (i) extend in a first direction in a circumferential direction of the intermediate transfer belt and (ii) are arranged in a width direction of the intermediate transfer belt that is orthogonal to the circumferential direction. The second surface is located on an outer peripheral surface side of the second layer, contacts a toner image, and includes second grooves that extend in a second direction in the circumferential direction. The first grooves includes 80 or more grooves per 1-mm length in the width direction in the first surface.

In an example of the disclosure, service rotation of a drum along a longitudinal axis of the drum is caused. The service rotation is to apply a centrifugal force upon a liquid held by the drum. The centrifugal force pushes gas bubbles in the drum away from a curved surface of the drum and towards the longitudinal drum axis. The gas bubbles evacuate from the drum via an outlet tube positioned adjacent to the longitudinal drum axis. A production rotation of the drum is caused after the service rotation.

An electrophotographic belt includes a biaxially stretched cylindrical film as a base layer, wherein the biaxially stretched cylindrical film includes crystalline polyester, amorphous polyester and carbon black, a content of the carbon black with respect to the biaxially stretched cylindrical film is 2.0% by mass or more, and a surface resistivity measured on the surface of the biaxially stretched cylindrical film in an environment of 23° C. and 50% RH is 1×10.sup.3 Ω/square or higher and 1×10.sup.13 Ω/square or lower, and A/B is 3.00 or smaller, where A (Q/square) represents a surface resistivity of the biaxially stretched cylindrical film after the film is left to stand for 24 hours in an environment of 23° C. and 50% RH, and B (Ω/square) represents a surface resistivity of the biaxially stretched cylindrical film after the film is left to stand for 24 hours in an environment of 30° C. and 80% RH.

Method and system for thermal transfer printing are disclosed. The system includes a transfer member having an imaging surface on the front side, a coating station at which a monolayer of particles made of, or coated with, a thermoplastic polymer is applied to the imaging surface, an imaging station at which electromagnetic radiation (EM) is applied via the rear side of the transfer member to selected regions of the particles-coated imaging surface to render the particles thereon tacky within the selected regions, and a transfer station at which only the regions of the particles coating that have been rendered tacky are transferred to a substrate. The transfer member includes on its rear side a body transparent to EM radiation and on its front side an EM radiation absorbing layer, the imaging surface being formed on, or as part of, the absorbing layer.