An aqueous inkjet printer is provided with a surface energy applicator that is positioned to treat the surface of a blanket immediately prior to a printhead ejecting ink onto the blanket. Modifying the surface energy of blanket with the electric field and charged particles produced by the applicator affects the adhesion of the ink to blanket. This adhesion changes from the impact of the ink on the blanket until the ink image is transferred to media. The surface energy applicator is operated during each print cycle to alter the surface energy of the blanket for each ink image formed on the blanket.