Electrowetting printer

In a non-manual print system including a print structure having a surface, an electrolyte bath with an electrolyte and configured to have the surface of the print structure pass through, an exposed component of the surface, and an ink bath, a method for printing comprising:

• exposing the print surface of the print structure of the print system to create an electrostatic image with one or more hydrophobic portions and one or more hydrophilic portions;
• applying an electrical potential that attracts an electrolyte in the electrolyte bath to the hydrophilic portions of the print surface;
• and
• forming the inked image on the print surface by passing the wetted print surface through the ink bath in which ink from the ink bath adheres to the hydrophobic portions of the print surface.

A print system, comprising:

• a print structure including:
• a drum,
• a photoconductor layer formed adjacent to the drum, and
• an insulator layer formed adjacent to the photoconductor layer, the insulator layer having a surface opposite the photoconductor layer;
• an electrolyte bath;
• an expose device that exposes an electrostatic image on the surface as the surface passes through the electrolyte bath and an electrolyte within the electrolyte bath adheres to the electrostatic image;
• and
• an ink bath that applies ink to unexposed portions of the surface to form an inked image on the surface.