A thermal image receiver element dry image receiving layer has a Tg of at least 25° C. as the outermost layer. The dry image receiving layer has a dry thickness of at least 0.5 μm and up to and including 5 μm. It comprises a polymer binder matrix that consists essentially of: (1) a water-dispersible acrylic polymer comprising chemically reacted or chemically non-reacted hydroxyl, phospho, phosphonate, sulfo, sulfonate, carboxy, or carboxylate groups, and (2) a water-dispersible polyester that has a Tg of 30° C. or less. The water-dispersible acrylic polymer is present in an amount of at least 55 weight % of the total dry image receiving layer weight and at a dry ratio to the water-dispersible polyester of at least 1:1. The thermal image receiver element can be used to prepare thermal dye images after thermal transfer from a thermal donor element.