Imaging system with electrophotographic patterning of an image definition material and methods therefor

A variable data lithography system, comprising:

• a photoreceptor;
• a charging subsystem for applying a first electrostatic charge to the photoreceptor;
• an exposure subsystem disposed for selective exposure of the photoreceptor to thereby form an exposure pattern from regions that are exposed and unexposed by the exposure subsystem on a surface of the photoreceptor, the exposure enabling altering the electrostatic charge on the photoreceptor to thereby define regions of the photoreceptor having a first electrostatic charge state and a second electrostatic charge state;
• an imaging member having a reimageable surface formed thereon, disposed proximate the photoreceptor;
• an image definition material subsystem disposed proximate the reimageable surface for applying a substantially uniform image definition material layer over the reimageable surface;
• a segregation material subsystem disposed proximate the photoreceptor for selectively applying segregation material substantially over regions of the photoreceptor having the first electrostatic charge state and not over regions having the second electrostatic charge state to thereby form a segregation material image on a surface of the photoreceptor corresponding to the exposure pattern, the photoreceptor and the imaging member disposed relative to one another such that the segregation material selectively applied over the photoreceptor is transferred over the image definition material layer, forming regions of segregation material separated by regions of image definition material on the reimageable surface;
• an inking subsystem for selectively applying ink over the reimageable surface such that the ink preferentially occupies regions over the image definition material on the reimageable surface to form an inked image over the reimageable surface;
• and
• an image transfer subsystem for transferring the ink over the image definition material to a substrate to transfer the inked image from the reimageable surface to the substrate.

A variable data lithography system, comprising:

• a photoreceptor;
• a charging subsystem for applying a first electrostatic charge to the photoreceptor;
• an exposure subsystem disposed for selective exposure of the photoreceptor to form an exposure pattern from regions that are exposed and unexposed by the exposure subsystem on a surface of the photoreceptor, the exposure enabling altering the electrostatic charge on the photoreceptor to define regions of the photoreceptor having a first electrostatic charge state and a second electrostatic charge state, the regions of the photoreceptor having a first electrostatic charge state having a first charge polarity;
• an imaging member having a reimageable surface formed thereon, disposed proximate the photoreceptor,
• an image definition material subsystem disposed proximate the reimageable surface for applying a substantially uniform image definition material layer over the reimageable surface;
• a charge application device disposed and configured to apply an electrostatic charge of a second polarity opposite the first polarity to the image definition material such that the image definition material is selectively electrostatically attracted to the photoreceptor in regions of the photoreceptor having the first charge state, the photoreceptor and the imaging member being disposed relative to one another such that the image definition material is selectively transferred from the reimageable surface to the photoreceptor in regions of the photoreceptor having the first charge state, forming regions of image definition material separated by regions of no image definition material on the reimageable surface;
• an inking subsystem for selectively applying ink over the reimageable surface such that the ink preferentially occupies regions over the image definition material on the reimageable surface to form an inked image over the reimageable surface;
• and
• an image transfer subsystem for transferring the ink over the image definition material to a substrate to transfer the inked image from the reimageable surface to the substrate.