Abstract: A light induced forward transfer manufacturing method provides for transfer of material from a donor sheet. A donor sheet is used that comprises a trench in a surface of the donor sheet, with transfer material in the trench. The material is transferred by scanning a light spot along the bottom of the trench. A donor sheet is used in which the average depth of the trench varies in the scanning direction. This supports optical reading of position information from the trench through the donor sheet and/or transfer of structures with predetermined height profiles from the trench. In combination with the average depth, or by themselves, a trench width, deviation of a trench from an average track or variation of a thickness or composition of material at a bottom of the trench may vary as a function of position along the trench to support optical reading of position information and/or transfer of predetermined structures.