This invention relates to a dye donor element for laser-induced thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a binder and an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, and wherein the infrared-absorbing material is a telluro- or seleno-squarylium dye having the following formula: ##STR1## wherein: R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 each independently represents hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aryl or hetaryl group;R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 each independently represents hydrogen, halogen, cyano, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyloxy, aryloxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, sulfonyl, carbamoyl, acyl, acylamido, alkylamino, arylamino, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aryl or hetaryl group;X represents Se or Te; andY represents O, S, Se, Te, TeCl.sub.2 or TeBr.sub.2, with the proviso that when X and Y are both Se and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 each represents t-butyl, then R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 cannot both be hydrogen at the same time; and with the second proviso that when X is Se and Y is O and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 each represents t-butyl, then R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 cannot both be hydrogen at the same time.