We present contact printing as a technique to deposit alpha-quaterthiophene (alpha-4T) films from the solid phase onto gold. The molecular orientation and morphology of both the printed film and the original polycrystalline alpha-4T film on silica were investigated with low energy ion scattering (LEIS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical microscopy. We show that the strong interaction between clean gold and alpha-4T induces a drastic change in the molecular orientation and morphology of a 380 nm thick alpha-4T film. On gold the alpha-4T molecules are orientated with the thiophene rings parallel to the substrate and form rod-like crystallites (typically similar to13 x 1.3 mum(2)), whereas on silica alpha-4T molecules stand almost upright and form large cobblestone-like crystallites (typical diameter similar to10 mum). Exposure of alpha-4T to a low energy ion beam (dose <1 x 10(14) 3 keV(3) He+ ions/cm(2)) prior to printing causes polymerisation, which decreases the ability to print and alters the morphology of the printed film. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.