Quasicrystalline Al-65-Cu-23-Fe-12 targets have been ablated by a doubled Nd:YAG laser and deposited on silicon substrates. The results show evidence of distinct ablation mechanisms, which lead to different gas phase composition, as a function of the laser fluence. Films containing the quasicrystalline phase can be deposited only at fluences higher than about 6.5 J/cm(2) while at lower fluences the aluminium content exceeds the stoichiometric value. The films obtained by laser ablation of quasicrystalline Al-65-Cu-23-Fe-12 were compared with those obtained from the metallic alloy Al-70-Cu-20-Fe-10. The differences between the two systems could be explained on the basis of the low thermal conductivity of the quasicrystalline phase.