Printing system

A printing system comprising an image forming station at which droplets of an ink that includes an organic polymer resin and a coloring agent in an aqueous carrier are applied to an outer surface of an intermediate transfer member to form an ink image, a drying station for drying the ink image to leave an ink residue film;

• and an impression station at which the residue film is transferred to a sheet or web substrate wherein the intermediate transfer member comprises a thin flexible endless substantially inextensible belt and wherein the impression station comprises an impression cylinder located outside of the belt and facing an outer surface thereof and a pressure cylinder encircled by the endless belt, the pressure cylinder carrying a compressible blanket mounted around only a portion of the circumference of the pressure cylinder so that opposite ends of the compressible blanket are spaced from one another by a gap, the pressure cylinder being configured to urge the belt against the impression cylinder with sufficient force to cause the residue film resting on the outer surface of the belt to be transferred onto the substrate that passes between the belt and the impression cylinder, the belt having a length greater than the circumference of the pressure cylinder and being guided to contact the pressure cylinder over only a portion of the length of the belt wherein the compressible outer surface of the pressure cylinder causes the outer surface of the belt to conform to the opposing surface of the substrate for an effective transfer of the ink residue film onto the substrate.