DIGITAL PRINTING PROCESS AND METHOD

1 . An aqueous treatment formulation comprising:

a. at least 1.5%, by weight, of at least one water soluble polymer having a solubility in water of at least 5% at 25° C.;

b. at least 5%, by weight, of a first non-ionic surfactant having a solubility in water of at least 7%, at 25° C.; and

c. a second non-ionic, silicone-containing surfactant having a solubility in water of at least 1%, at 25° C.;

d. a carrier liquid containing water, said water making up at least 55%, by weight of the aqueous treatment formulation;

said aqueous treatment formulation optionally including at least one of or both of:

v. a water absorbing agent; and vi. polyethyleneimine (PEI),

wherein said aqueous treatment formulation has all of the following properties:

i. a static surface tension within a range of 20 and 40 mN/m at 25° C.;

ii. a 25° C. dynamic viscosity that is at least 10 cP; and

iii. a 60° C. evaporation load of at most 7.5:1, by weight.

2 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 wherein said water soluble polymer is a polyvinyl alcohol and the aqueous treatment formulation additionally comprises said polyethyleneimine (PEI) having an average molecular weight of 200,000 to 2,000,000 g/mol.

3 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of said first non-ionic surfactant within said aqueous treatment formulation, by weight, is within the range of 6.5-18%.

4 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein said second, non-ionic silicone-containing surfactant includes a polysiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymer, and wherein a concentration of said polysiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymer is at least 0.3%, at least 0.5%, at least 0.75%, or at least 1.0%, by weight, and further optionally, at most 5%, at most 4%, at most 3%, at most 2.5%, at most 2%, or at most 1.75%, by weight.

5 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein said aqueous treatment formulation further includes said water absorbing agent.

6 - 7 . (canceled)

8 . The aqueous treatment formulation of any one of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of quaternary ammonium salt within said aqueous treatment formulation, by weight, is at most 0.8%.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said water soluble polymer is selected from at least one of the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, water-soluble cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene oxide, and a water-soluble acrylate.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of polyethyleneimine or said polyethyleneimine within said aqueous treatment formulation, by weight, is within a range of 0.1 to 1%, and wherein an average molecular weight of said polyethyleneimine is 200,000 to 3,000,000 g/mol.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein said first non-ionic surfactant is, mainly includes, or includes a polyethoxylated sorbitan ester.

14 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 13 , wherein the HLB number of said first non-ionic surfactant is within a range of 14.5 to 20.

17 - 18 . (canceled)

19 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of said water soluble polymer is within a range of 2.0 to 8%.

20 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein said solubility in water of said at least one water soluble polymer, at 25° C., is at least 10%, by weight.

24 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein said solubility in water of said first non-ionic surfactant, at 25° C., is at least 12%, by weight.

25 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein said water absorbing agent is selected whereby, when said aqueous treatment solution is evaporated to form a solid film, said water absorbing agent acts as a water absorber that absorbs water from said aqueous treatment solution.

26 . (canceled)

27 . The aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of said second non-ionic surfactant within said aqueous treatment formulation, by weight, is within a range of 1-18%.

28 - 34 . (canceled)

35 . method of claim 1 , wherein functional groups within said silicone based release layer surface of the provided ITM make up at most 3%, by weight, of said addition-cured silicone material.

36 - 53 . (canceled)

54 . An article of manufacture comprising:

(A) a quantity of the aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 ; and

(B) an intermediate transfer member (ITM) comprising a silicone-based release layer surface that is sufficiently hydrophilic to satisfy at least one of the following properties: (i) a receding contact angle of a drop of distilled water deposited on the silicone-based release layer surface is at most 60°; and (ii) a 10-second dynamic contact angle (DCA) of a drop of distilled water deposited on the silicone-based release layer surface is at most 108°

55 . The article of manufacture of claim 54 wherein functional groups within said silicone based release layer surface of the provided ITM make up at most 3%, by weight, of said addition-cured silicone material.

56 . A method comprising:

(A) providing a quantity of the aqueous treatment formulation of claim 1 ; and

(B) applying the quantity of the aqueous treatment formulation to a silicone-based release layer surface of an intermediate transfer member (ITM), said silicone-based release layer surface being, before said applying, sufficiently hydrophilic to satisfy at least one of the following properties: (i) a receding contact angle of a drop of distilled water deposited on the silicone-based release layer surface is at most 60′; and (ii) a 10-second dynamic contact angle (DCA) of a drop of distilled water deposited on the silicone-based release layer surface is at most 108°

57 . The method of claim 56 wherein functional groups within said silicone based release layer surface of the provided ITM make up at most 3%, by weight, of said addition-cured silicone material.