A formative surface having a conductive base covered with a dielectric and oleophobic/hydrophobic surface layer is created with defined pits to grow micro-puddles of a defined volume. The formative surface is brought into close proximity with a charge retentive surface carrying a charge image. Fountain solution vapor nucleates and grows preferentially on the base of the pits as micro-puddle droplets. The puddles are charged and extracted from the surface to provide a fog of charged droplets of narrow volume and charge distribution. The charged droplets are attracted and repelled respectively from the charged and discharged image regions of the charge retentive surface, thus developing the charged image into a fountain solution latent image. The developed latent image is then brought into contact with a transfer member blanket and split, thus creating on the blanket a fountain solution latent image ready for inking.

Ink-based digital printing systems useful for ink printing include a secondary roller having a rotatable reimageable surface layer configured to receive fountain solution. The fountain solution layer is patterned on the secondary roller and then partially transferred to an imaging blanket, where the fountain solution image is inked. The resulting ink image may be transferred to a print substrate. To achieve a very high-resolution (e.g., 1200-dpi, over 900-dpi) print with these secondary roller configurations, an equivalent very high-resolution fountain solution image needs to be transferred from the secondary roller onto the imaging blanket. To increase the resolution of the image on the secondary roller, examples include a textured surface layer added to the secondary roller for contact angle pinning the fountain solution on the roll. Approaches to introduce a micro-structure onto the surface layer of the secondary roller, and also superoleophobic surface coatings are described.

Based on evaporation of fountain solution from a rotating blanket cylinder to create an image that may be inked and printed, a digitally addressable heater array at or just below the blanket surface evaporates deposited fountain solution and forms a fountain solution latent image on the surface. The heater array has controllable heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) that provide a transient heat pattern on the surface to evaporate the fountain solution. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Current may be supplied along data lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics to provide the desired heat at heating elements addressed by a specific gate line. The heater array may include a current return line that may be a 2-dimensional mesh.

Fountain solution latent images are provided on an inking blanket without using laser-induced evaporation systems. Approaches include a rotatable charge retentive surface configured to receive an unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles adhered thereto via electrophotography. The toner includes small diameter polymeric or inorganic particles that may have no color pigment to appear transparent or translucent. Fountain solution is disposed on at least one of the toner, the charge retentive surface and a transfer substrate. The transfer substrate is adjacent the charge retentive surface and forms a nip therebetween, with the transfer substrate sandwiching the unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles and fountain solution against the charge retentive surface at the nip. Fountain solution sandwiched between the surfaces splits as the surfaces separate downstream the nip, leaving a fountain solution latent image remaining on the transfer member surface based on the electrostatic charged pattern on the charge retentive surface.

A solid particle aerosol development device form fogs of solid (e.g., frozen) fountain solution particles that are charged, and brings the charged solid fountain solution particles into proximity of an electrostatic charged image pattern on a imaging member's charge retentive surface. The charged solid fountain solution particles bond to the charge retentive surface at the charged image pattern to develop that image into a fountain solution latent image. The solid particle aerosol development devices produce solid fountain solution particles to develop electrostatic latent images while mitigating issues of evaporation and vapor production, and thus may apply fine films of fountain solution which may otherwise evaporate. In examples, the fountain solution aerosol development devices may include an anilox member, a metering member in contact with the anilox member, a fountain solution reservoir, a particle charger and a particle delivery baffle.

A service tracking system for a printing press (1), spray applicator (1′) or the like includes at least one replaceable component (10) having at least one memory unit (20). The service tracking system further includes a controller (30) which is connected to the memory unit (20). The controller (30) is configured to control the operation of the replaceable component (10) and to periodically update data stored on the memory unit (20) related to run-time data regarding the operation of the specific replaceable component (10).

A service tracking system for a printing press (1), spray applicator (1′) or the like includes at least one replaceable component (10) having at least one memory unit (20). The service tracking system further includes a controller (30) which is connected to the memory unit (20). The controller (30) is configured to control the operation of the replaceable component (10) and to periodically update data stored on the memory unit (20) related to run-time data regarding the operation of the specific replaceable component (10).

A dampening fluid recycling system may include a print station having an imaging member with a reimageable surface, a dampening fluid deposition subsystem for applying a layer of dampening fluid onto the reimageable surface, and a dampening fluid recovery subsystem configured to remove excess dampening fluid vapor that does not condense over the reimageable surface. The dampening fluid deposition subsystem may include a dampening fluid supply chamber, a dampening fluid supply channel, and a dampening fluid supply channel outlet. The dampening fluid supply chamber may include an inlet tube and a tube body that may be a split tube. The dampening fluid supply channel may attach to the split tube and descend towards the imaging member to deliver fluid vapor from both parts of the first split tube onto the reimageable surface of the imaging member.

A dampening fluid recycling system may include a print station having an imaging member with a reimageable surface, a dampening fluid deposition subsystem for applying a layer of dampening fluid onto the reimageable surface, and a dampening fluid recovery subsystem configured to remove excess dampening fluid vapor that does not condense over the reimageable surface. The dampening fluid deposition subsystem may include a dampening fluid supply chamber, a dampening fluid supply channel, and a dampening fluid supply channel outlet. The dampening fluid supply chamber may include an inlet tube and a tube body that may be a split tube. The dampening fluid supply channel may attach to the split tube and descend towards the imaging member to deliver fluid vapor from both parts of the first split tube onto the reimageable surface of the imaging member.

A dampening fluid deposition system includes a vapor generator adjacent an air supply channel and in fluid communication with a dampening fluid supply to produce dampening fluid vapor. The vapor generator includes a vapor channel having an interior in communication with air confined within the air supply channel. The vapor generator may include a liquid reservoir receiving dampening fluid from the dampening fluid supply and a heater that heats the received dampening fluid into dampening fluid vapor. The liquid reservoir may include a wick that stores dampening fluid and releases dampening fluid vapor into the vapor channel and a heat conductive tub that holds the wick and dampening fluid. The passive dampening fluid deposition system mixes the dampening fluid vapor with the confined air to form an air/vapor mix that is condensed as a layer of dampening fluid onto the reimageable surface of an imaging member.