Printer and dryer for drying images on coated substrates in aqueous ink printers

An aqueous ink printer comprising:

• at least one printhead configured to eject drops of an aqueous ink onto substrates moving past the at least one printhead to form aqueous ink images on the substrates;
• a first substrate transport for moving substrates past the at least one printhead;
• and
• a dryer configured to receive substrates from the first substrate transport and to hold a plurality of the substrates for a predetermined period of time to dry the aqueous ink images on the substrates before independently releasing each substrate in the plurality of substrates to a second substrate transport, the dryer holding each substrate at an orientation where one end of the substrate is at a higher gravitational potential than an opposite end of the substrate, the dryer comprising:
• a housing;
• a plurality of endless belts that are vertically oriented within a predetermined range of angles from an axis that is perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the first substrate transport, each endless belt being configured with a pivoting member at an end of the endless belt that is at a higher gravitational potential, each endless belt comprising:
• a first electrically insulating layer;
• a first electrically conductive layer positioned on the first electrically insulting layer, the first electrically conductive layer being electrically connected to electrical ground;
• a second electrically insulating layer positioned on the first electrically conductive layer;
• and
• a plurality of electrically conductive strips arranged in a predetermined pattern on the second electrically insulating layer to enable an electrostatic field to form at edges of the strips in response to the electrically conductive strips being electrically connected to an electrical voltage supply, the first and the second electrically insulating layers, the first electrically conductive layer, and the plurality of electrically conductive strips forming an electrostatic endless belt;
• a plurality of actuators that are operatively connected to the pivoting members in a one-to-one correspondence;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the plurality of actuators, the controller being configured to operate the actuators to pivot the pivoting members selectively to enable substrates to move onto the endless belt associated with the pivoting member pivoted by the operated actuator or to prevent substrates from moving onto the endless belt associated with the pivoting member pivoted by the operated actuator.