A process for adjusting the energy of an imaging laser for element and thermally imageable elements suitable for this purpose are described. The process comprises the steps of: (a) providing an imaging unit having a non-imaging laser and an imaging laser, the non-imaging laser having a light detector which is in communication with the imaging laser, (b) contacting a receiver element with the thermally imageable element in the imaging unit, wherein the thermally imageable element comprises a light attenuated layer having a front surface and a back surface; (c) actuating the non-imaging laser to expose the thermally imageable element and the receiver element to an amount of light energy sufficient for the light detector to detect the amount of light reflected from the light attenuated layer of the thermally imageable element; and (d) actuating the imaging laser to focus the imaging laser in order to expose the thermally imageable element to an amount of light energy sufficient for imaging the thermally imageable element. The light attenuation is achieved by use of a light attenuating agent or by physically roughening a base element of the thermally imageable element.