The deposition of metal and polymer patterns was achieved with a laser forward transfer method involving a sacrificial release layer. Aluminum, gelatine and methylcellulose pixels were precisely transferred from a donor to a receiver substrate using the UV-laser decomposition of an intermediate triazene polymer layer. The roughness and edge sharpness of the pixels are found to be very dependent on the transfer material. For aluminum, a thick layer of triazene has to be used to get a clean transfer, which remains unclear yet. The applied fluence as well as the triazene thickness are strongly interdependent on the mechanical properties of the transfer layer. This work endeavours some important aspects of the transfer mechanism, and opens the way to further investigations, which are necessary to get a clear understanding of the process. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.