Abstract: A master is formed on a photoconductive surface by first forming an electrostatic charge pattern on the imaging member and developing the charge pattern to form an image of electroscopic marking particles. The developed image is uniformly coated with a thin layer of an adhesive coating and the coated image is then contacted with an adhesive surface transfer element. Upon separation the thin layer of adhesive overcoating fractures. The thin overcoating over the electroscopic particles and these particles transfer to the transfer element so as to leave on the photoconductive member the remaining thin overcoating layer in an image configuration which constitutes the master.The master can be used to make copies by electrostatic, lithographic or gravure printing.