A method is provided for making a device comprising aligned semiconducting nanoparticles and a receptor substrate comprising the steps of: a) aligning a plurality of first semiconducting nanoparticles; b) depositing the aligned first semiconducting nanoparticles on a first donor sheet; and c) transferring at least a portion of the aligned first semiconducting nanoparticles to a receptor substrate by the application of laser radiation. Typically, the semiconducting nanoparticles are inorganic semiconducting nanoparticles. The alignment step may be accomplished by any suitable method, typically including: 1) alignment by capillary flow in or on a textured or microchanneled surface; 2) alignment by templating on a self-assembled monolayer (SAM); 3) alignment by templating on a textured polymer surface; or 4) alignment by mixing in a composition that includes nematic liquid crystals followed by shear orientation of the nematic liquid crystals. In some embodiments, the method additionally comprises the steps of: d) aligning a second plurality of second nanoparticles; e) depositing the aligned second nanoparticles on the same donor sheet or a second donor sheet; and f) transferring at least a portion of the aligned second nanoparticles to the same receptor substrate by the application of laser radiation. The second nanoparticles may be conducting particles, non-conducting particles, or semiconducting nanoparticles, including inorganic semiconducting nanoparticles, and may be the same or different in composition from the first semiconducting nanoparticles. In addition, devices made according to the methods of the present invention are provided.