A liquid immersion development (LID) reproduction machine having an image forming surface that is protected against adverse heat effects. The LID reproduction machine includes an image transfer assembly, having multiple intermediate transfer members, suitable for transferring a toner developed image from the image forming surface onto a copy substrate without adverse heat effects on the image forming surface. The image transfer assembly includes a first intermediate transfer member that is mounted along the path of movement of the image forming surface and in contact with the image forming surface. The first intermediate transfer member as mounted forms a first unheated image transfer nip with the image forming surface for cold transferring the toner developed image from the image forming surface onto the first intermediate transfer member, thereby passively protecting the image forming surface from adverse heat effects such as adverse heat effects from contact with an otherwise heated intermediate transfer member. The image transfer assembly also includes a second intermediate transfer member that is mounted spaced from the image forming surface for receiving and transferring the toner developed image from the first intermediate transfer member to a copy substrate. The second intermediate transfer member as mounted forms a second unheated image transfer nip with the first intermediate transfer member, and a heated or transfixing image transfer nip with a back up roll at a point away from the first intermediate transfer member for transferring the toner developed image onto the copysubstrate.