We have developed spatio-dimensional imaging techniques for optically characterizing the uniformity and the quality of organic thin layers such as the alignment layer of a liquid crystal. These techniques rely on the laser scanning polarization modulated detection in the visible range and the reflectance imaging in the ultraviolet (UV) range. Surface inhomogeneities on the alignment layer associated with the static defects and the chemical contaminants can be clearly observed in a spatial map constructed by the phase retardation and the UV reflectance image.