Solid fog development for digital offset printing applications

A fountain solution particle development device for delivering charged fountain solution particles onto a target having a charge-retentive surface bearing an electrostatic charged pattern thereon, the development device comprising:

• an anilox member having a textured surface layer with dimples configured to receive and carry fountain solution for transfer to the charge-retentive surface;
• a fountain solution reservoir in liquid communication with the anilox member to supply the fountain solution to the textured dimples of the anilox member;
• a cooler proximate to the textured surface layer, the cooler configured to chill the textured surface layer to below a freezing temperature of the fountain solution to solidify or maintain solid the fountain solution adjacent the dimples;
• a metering member in contact with the anilox member forming a nip therebetween, the metering member configured to remove excess fountain solution from the textured surface layer of the anilox member resulting in a metered layer of fountain solution particles on the textured surface layer;
• and
• a particle charger adjacent the anilox member that drives a flux of ions through the solid and metered fountain solution particles to form charged solid fountain solution particles, wherein the charged solid fountain solution particles are released from the anilox member proximate the target and are attracted to the electrostatic charged pattern to attach to the charge-retentive surface and form a patterned fountain solution latent image.

A method for delivering charged solid fountain solution particles onto a target having a charge-retentive surface bearing an electrostatic charged pattern thereon, comprising:

• a) supplying fountain solution to a fountain solution reservoir in communication with a textured surface layer of an anilox member, the textured surface layer having dimples configured to receive and carry fountain solution;
• b) freezing the fountain solution adjacent the textured surface layer into solid fountain solution particles by chilling the textured surface layer to below a freezing temperature of the fountain solution;
• c) removing excess fountain solution from the textured surface layer of the anilox member resulting in a metered layer of fountain solution on the textured surface layer with a metering member in contact with the anilox member forming a nip therebetween;
• d) charging the fountain solution of the metered layer into charged solid particles via a particle charger adjacent the anilox member;
• and
• e) releasing the charged solid particles from the anilox member proximate the target for attachment to the charge-retentive surface to form a patterned fountain solution latent image based on the electrostatic charged patterned.