Resistive-head thermal dye transfer printing is a digital printing method in which thermal energy is used to create photographic quality output by the transfer of dyes from a donor ribbon to a receiver that are in intimate contact. Like many systems, thermal printing is a synergistic combination of many parts. Thermal dye donor elements consist of support, dye layers, adhesive layers, laminate overcoat layers, and slipping or heatresistant layers. Thermal receivers are also multilayered structures consisting of a dye-receiving layer, interlayers, antistatic layers, and a high-quality paper support. Thermal hardware and software in combination with thermal media elements result in high-quality photographic images. This paper will focus on the thermal media contribution to the system.