WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A planographic printing plate precursor comprising:
a support;
an image recording layer formed on the support; and
fine particles positioned in a region of the planographic printing plate precursor on the image recording layer side,
wherein a content of the fine particles per unit area in a region on the image recording layer side from an end portion of the planographic printing plate precursor to a portion inside the end portion by 5 mm is greater than a content of the fine particles per unit area in a region other than the region by an amount of 10 mg/m" or greater.
2. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim I,
wherein the fine particles are organic resin fine particles.
3. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 2,
wherein the organic resin tine particles are microgel particles.
4. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 2,
wherein the organic resin fine particles are thermoplastic fine particles.
5. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 1,
wherein the fine particles are inorganic fine particles.
6. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 5,
wherein the inorganic fine particles are silica, alumina, magnesium oxide, titanium

oxide, magnesium carbonate, or a mixture of these.
7. The planographic printing plate precursor according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
wherein tiie end portion of the planographic printing plate precursor has a sagging shape in which a sagging amount X is in a range of 35 to 1 50 u.m and a sagging width Y is in a range of 70 lo 300 jam.
8. The planographic printing plate precursor according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
wherein the region of the plate surface on the image recording layer side from an end portion to a portion inside the end portion by 5 mm further contains a hydrophilic compound.
9. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 8,
wherein the hydrophilic compound is a compound which includes a supporr-adsorptive group.
10. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 9,
wherein the compound which includes a support-adsorptive group is a phosphoric acid compound or a phosphonic acid compound.
13. The planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 10,
wherein the phosphoric acid compound or the phosphonic acid compound is a polymer compound.
12. The planographic printing plate precursor according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
wherein the image recording layer contains an infrared absorbent, a polymerization initiator, a polymerizable compound, and a binder polymer.

13. The planographic printing plate precursor according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
wherein the image recording layer contains an infrared absorbent, a polymerization initiator, a polymerizable compound, and a particulate polymer compound.
14. The planographic printing plate precursor according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
wherein the image recording layer contains an infrared absorbent and a thermoplastic fine particle polymer.
15. A method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor which includes a support;
an image recording layer formed on the support; and fine particles positioned in a region of the
planographic printing plate precursor on the image recording layer side, in which a content of
the fine particles per unit area in a region on the image recording layer side from an end
portion of the planographic printing plate precursor to a portion inside the end portion by 5
mm is greater than a content of the fine particles per unit area in a region other than the region
by an amount of 10 mg/m" or greater, the method comprising:
(a) an image recording layer forming step of forming the image recording layer;
(b) a coating step of coating a part of a region where the image recording layer is formed by the step (a) with a coating solution containing the fine particles such that the coating solution and the region overlap each other; and
(e) a cutting step of cutting the region coated with the coating solution such that the region is in a range from the end portion of the cut planographic printing plate precursor to a portion inside the end portion by 5 mm,
wherein the steps are performed in order of the step (a), the step (b), and the step (c) or in order of the step (b), the step (a), and the step (c), on the support.

16. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 15,
wherein (d) an undercoat layer forming step of forming an undercoat layer is performed on the support before the step (a).
17. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 15
or 16,
wherein (e) a protective layer forming step of forming a protective layer is performed on the image recording layer after the step (a) and before the step (c).
18. A method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor which includes a support;
an image recording layer formed on the support; and fine particles positioned in a region of the
planographic printing plate precursor on the image recording layer side, in which a content of
fine particles per unit area in a region on the image recording layer side from an end portion of
the planographic printing plate precursor to a portion inside the end portion by 5 mm is greater
than a content of the fine particles per unit area in a region other than the region by an amount
of 10 mg/nr or greater, the method comprising:
(a) an image recording layer forming step of forming the image recording layer; and (f) a coating step of coating a region, from the end portion of the planographic
printing plate precursor to a portion inside the end portion by 5 mm, with a coating solution
containing the fine particles,
wherein the steps are performed in order of the step (a) and the step (f) on the support.
19. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 18,
wherein (d) an undercoat layer forming step of forming an undercoat layer is performed on the support before the step (a).

20. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 18
or 19,
wherein (e) a protective layer forming step of forming a protective layer is performed on the image recording layer after the step (a) and before the step (f).
21. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to any one of
claims 15 to 20,
wherein the coating solution containing the fine particles further contains a hydrophilic compound.
22. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 21,
wherein the hydrophilic compound is a compound having a support-adsorptive group.
23. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 22,
wherein the hydrophilic compound is a phosphoric acid compound or a phosphonic acid compound.
24. The method of producing a planographic printing plate precursor according to claim 23,
wherein the phosphoric acid compound or the phosphonic acid compound is a polymer compound.
25. A planographic printing plate precursor which is obtained by the production method according to any one of claims 15 to 24.
26. A printing method comprising:
performing printing by imagewise-exposing the planographic printing plate precursor

according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and 25, supplying printing ink and dampening water, and removing an unexposed portion of the image recording layer on a printing press.
27. The printing method according to claim 26,
wherein the printing is performed using printing paper having a width wider than the width of the planographic printing plate precursor.