To obtain a planographic printing plate having excellent printability by a simple method friendly to environment by including a base having a hydrophilic surface, a specific hydrophobic thermosensitive comps. adjacent to the hydrophilic surface of this base and heat-adhesive layers into this plate.

This thermosensitive image forming element includes the base which has the hydrophilic surface, the hydrophobic thermosensitive comps. which includes a hydrophobic polymer binder, a compd. capable of converting light to heat as well as a reactive compd. having reactivity under the influence of heat or under the influence of the reagent obtd. by decomposition of the thermosensitive compd. and existing in the amt. exceeding the absorption capacity of the hydrophobic polymer binder for the compd. or the mixture of the compd. and is adjacent to the hydrophilic surface of the base and one or more heat-adhesive layers at least one of which are adjacent to the hydrophobic thermosensitive compsn. The planographic printing plate having high quality is obtd. by using such image forming element.