control and make uniform the thickness of the dampening fluid layer and to do so without introducing unwanted artifacts into the printed image accordingly with reference to fig2 there is shown therein an evaporative thickness control subsystem 28 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure evaporative thickness control subsystem 28 is disposed proximate an imaging member 12 having a reimageable surface 30 a dampening fluid deposition subsystem 32 initially deposits a layer of dampening fluid 34 over surface 30 layer 34 may in the range of 0 2 u03bcm to 1 0 u03bcm as deposited evaporative thickness control subsystem 28 is disposed following fluid deposition subsystem 32 in the direction of motion of imaging member 12 evaporative thickness control subsystem 28 comprises an evaporative gas source 36 which may be a canister or tank as shown a gas generation device an inlet port for collecting ambient gas such as air remote from the region of the reimageable surface or other appropriate source structure a gas directing nozzle 38 or an array of such nozzles is connected to evaporative gas source 36 by way of a valve 40 and optional pressure source 42 to provide transport pressure to the evaporative gas in operation evaporative gas from source 36 is forced from nozzle 38 towards the surface of layer 34 this causes evaporation of a portion of layer 34 dampening fluid evaporated.