A method for preparing a waterless lithographic plate is disclosed. A mixture that contains a water-repellant release material and a compound that becomes aqueous developable on heating is coated on a support, heated imagewise, and developed to produce the printing plate. Preferred water-repellant release materials are acrylic and methacrylic polymers with fluorinated side chains and silicone containing polymers, especially organo functional siloxanes. Preferred compounds that become aqueous developable on heating are phenolic resins as well as complexes of phenolic resins with quinolinium compounds, benzothiazolium compounds, pyridinium compounds, and imidazoline compounds.