Abstract: A non-photographic, digital laser image recording and reading method and apparatus for recording and reading visual, two-dimensional replicas or representations of objects, pictures, illustrations, computer outputs and the like. A flat-field twin objective is employed to project the image of a laser beam focused to a diffraction limited spot on a radiation sensitive material, e.g., a heat ablatable or vaporizable recording medium to create a two-dimensional ensemble of holes in the recording medium. The recording medium comprises thin metallic films carried on flat substrates which are moving at constant speed or are immovably held while the image of the diffraction limited spot is scanned thereover by angularly deflecting the laser beam entering the twin objective. The visual laser record is an instantaneous replica of an original image or its computer processed binary equivalent.