A system and method of applying a controlled amount of fluid to a moveable image carrying member of an electrographic printing system using a liquid toner before an image is transferred to a substrate. The amount of fluid applied may be controlled by a re-wet roller, located between the toner station and the transfer station, whose distance from the moveable image carrying member is varied along with the rotational speed and direction of the re-wet roller, according to either the roughness and porosity of the substrate or the print quality of the substrate. Alternatively, the fluid may be directly applied just to image areas of the moveable image carrying member to improve print quality.