An imaging system for effecting electrostatic printing of an image, wherein the imaging system includes at least one contact electrostatic printing engine operable in a novel fashion upon a copy substrate, for imaging and development of a latent image representative of the image, and subsequent transfer of the developed image to the copy substrate. The developed image is created by separating and selectively transferring portions of a high solids content toner cake layer in correspondence with the image and non-image regions of the latent image. A toner cake layer delivery apparatus draws from a supply of low solids content liquid developing material to apply a layer of the liquid developing material onto a carrier fluid separation (CFS) surface of a coating member. Rapid migration of the carrier fluid into the CFS surface causes a substantial reduction of the ratio of carrier fluid to toner solids, thus providing the desired high solids content toner cake layer.