A lithographic printing method including exposing an imaging surface layer of a printing plate to a first expose source to render the surface layer uniformly hydrophilic; the surface layer comprising a compound having reversible light controlled wettability whereby the surface layer is reversibly hydrophilic and hydrophobic. The surface layer is disposed over a variable image portion of the printing plate imaging surface or disposed over substantially all of the printing plate imaging surface. The surface is exposed to a second expose source to render image areas of the surface layer hydrophobic. Polar liquid attracts to non-image hydrophilic areas. Hydrophobic liquid colorant attracts to hydrophobic image areas. The surface layer is contacted an offset receiving member and the image is transferred to an image receiving substrate.