Quartz tube leveling apparatus and systems for simultaneous leveling and pinning of radiation curable inks

A system for leveling gel ink on a substrate, comprising:

• a leveling member, positioned to contact a radiation curable ink-bearing side of the substrate at a pressure nip, the leveling member comprising quartz and a conformable surface;
• and
• a backing member, the backing member defining the pressure nip with the leveling member, the leveling member being a load bearing member during leveling;
• a light source configured to emit light, the leveling member being configured so that emitted light may pass through the quartz tube and to a first portion of the pressure nip, and the leveling member being configured to contact an ink-bearing side of a substrate at a second portion of the pressure nip, wherein the first portion follows the second portion in a process direction.