A transfer assist blade for an electrophotograhic printing machine that provides the necessary stiffness to allow complete transfer of a toner image while avoiding excessive bending stress in the blade. The blade is made up of a semiconductive polyester layer bonded to a non-semiconductive polyester layer. A third and fourth layer of high molecular weight polyethylene are bonded o the second layer. These third and fourth layers do not extend the full length of the blade to provide supplemental stiffness while avoiding excess bending stress.