A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having on one side thereof a dye layer and on the other side a slipping layer comprising a lubricating material, with or without a binder, the lubricating material comprising an an organic phosphonic acid or a salt thereof having the formula: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group or perfluoroalkylene group;R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group, a perfluoroalkyl group, an alkyl- or aryl-terminated polyoxyalkylene group or an aryl group; with the proviso that the total number of carbon atoms in R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are at least nine;J represents an optional linking group selected from the group consisting of ##STR2## and n is 0 or 1.