Condensation of vapor (dew formation) leads to complex patterns on cold surfaces (breath figures). This phenomenon has been studied for a long time but some important features are still under debate and this apparently simple situation poses many open questions. We are especially interested in the growth of droplets just after the surface has been cooled below the dew point.

When drops condense close to each other their growth rate becomes a function of the drop spacing. If the distance between them is large, the drops grow independently. The closer the droplet packing on the surface, the more the droplet growth resembles that of a continuous wetting film on the surface.

Drops growing on soft (deformable) surfaces interact with the substrate via the Laplace pressure and the surface tension. Compared to rigid surfaces, condensation on soft surfaces turns out to be more efficient. Similarly, the possibility of neighboring drops to merge is decreased with increasing softness of the surface.