Secondary roller for fountain solution contact angle pinning

A method of transferring a patterned fountain solution latent image to a rotatable inking blanket of an ink-based image forming device, the rotatable inking blanket configured to accept the patterned fountain solution latent image and transfer an ink image based on the patterned fountain solution latent image, the method comprising:

• depositing a fountain solution layer onto a reimageable surface layer of a secondary roller by a fountain solution deposition system, the secondary roller being in rolling contact with the rotatable inking blanket at a nip therebetween;
• vaporizing the layer of fountain solution in an image-wise manner from the reimageable surface layer via a pixelated heat source adjacent the secondary roller and downstream the fountain solution deposition system, the vaporizing forming the patterned fountain solution latent image on the reimageable surface layer;
• and
• transferring at least a portion of the patterned fountain solution latent image from the reimageable surface layer of the secondary roller to the rotatable inking blanket at the nip.

An ink-based image forming device having a rotatable inking blanket configured to accept a patterned fountain solution latent image and transfer an ink image based on the patterned fountain solution latent image, the ink-based image forming device comprising:

• a secondary roller including a reimageable surface layer in rolling contact with the rotatable inking blanket at a nip therebetween, the reimageable surface layer having a textured surface with pixel sized lands surrounded by sharp edges between the lands, the textured surface designed to reduce lateral spreading of fountain solution via contact pinning of the fountain solution on the textured surface, the secondary roller further including a hollow core with a central drum chiller configured to chill the reimageable surface to a freezing temperature of the fountain solution;
• a fountain solution deposition system adjacent the secondary roller, the fountain solution deposition system configured to deposit a layer of fountain solution onto the reimageable surface layer, the fountain solution deposition system including a vapor development device having a manifold with walls defining a chamber adjacent the reimageable surface layer for transfer of fountain solution vapor into the chamber and condensation of the fountain solution vapor onto the reimageable surface layer as the layer of fountain solution;
• a pixelated heat source adjacent the secondary roller and downstream the fountain solution deposition system, the pixelated heat source configured to vaporize the layer of fountain solution in an image-wise manner from the reimageable surface layer and form a patterned fountain solution latent image on the reimageable surface layer,
• wherein the secondary roller transfers at least a portion of the patterned fountain solution latent image to the rotatable inking blanket at the nip.