Method of transferring a protective overcoat to a dye-donor element

A process of forming a protection layer with an improved level of gloss on top of a thermal dye transfer image comprising:

• (a) imagewise heating a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a binder, said dye donor being in contact with a dye-receiving element, thereby transferring a dye image to said dye-receiving element at a line time of 0.4 to 2 milliseconds to form said dye transfer image;
• and
• (b) non-imagewise heating a donor element, which may be the same as the dye-donor element or a separate donor-element, which donor element comprises a support and a protection layer, thereby thermally transferring the protection layer on top of said transferred dye image at a line time of 0.4 to 2 milliseconds,
• wherein a means for stripping the protection layer from the donor element is adjusted so that the distance the donor element and receiver travel before peeling is preselected such that the time from printing of a line to peeling of the line, when the donor substrate is separated from the protection layer adhered to said printed dye-receiving element, is 68.21 to 69.00 milliseconds.