An imaging element has a substrate, an extruded, non-voided compliant layer and an image receiving layer. The extruded, non-voided compliant layer has a heat of fusion of equal to or greater than 0 and up to and including 45 joules/g of compliant layer as determined in a temperature range of from 25° C. to 147° C. by ASTM method D3418-08 and a tensile modulus value of less than 5×1010 dynes/cm2. These imaging elements can be used as thermal dye image transfer receiver elements to provide an image in combination with a thermal dye donor element in a thermal dye transfer process.