A photoreceptor aluminum alloy substrate is prepared with specific roughness characteristics and an oxide layer for use in multi-layered electrophotographic photoreceptor. A photoreceptor substrate, or drum, is placed in a lathe and turned using a polycrystalline tool to achieve specific roughness characteristics. A oxide layer is then allowed to form on the roughened photoreceptor substrate. The roughened surface of the photoreceptor aluminum alloy substrate in conjunction with the oxide layer on the roughed surface reduces variances in surface energy across the photoreceptor substrate, and eliminates, or greatly reduces, a number of Tiger Stripe and Tiger Tail defects that may occur in an undercoat layer subsequently applied to the roughened photoreceptor substrate. The approach eliminates the need for wet honing and thereby significantly reduces the complexity and cost of fabricating a multi-layered electrophotographic photoreceptor.