Texture control of thin film layers prepared via laser induced thermal imaging

A process for transferring an image onto a receptor comprising the steps of:

• providing on a substrate a light-to-heat conversion layer, an interlayer coated on the light-to-heat conversion layer, and a thermal transfer layer coated on the interlayer, wherein the interlayer comprises metal;
• placing the thermal transfer layer in contact with a surface of the receptor;
• irradiating the light-to-heat conversion layer in an imagewise pattern with a light source to thermally transfer portions of the thermal transfer layer corresponding to the imagewise pattern to the receptor;
• and
• controlling, at least partially, a surface texture of the transfer layer prior to the placing step and prior to imaging of the transfer layer, wherein the controlling step includes selecting coating conditions for the light-to-heat conversion layer and the interlayer in the providing step in order to control the surface texture of the transfer layer.