Laser forming is a novel manufacturing technique used to form metal sheet into complex geometries. The process is based on the introduction of thermal stress including plastic strains which result in bending and/or shortening the material (temperature gradient mechanism) or produce a local buckling (buckling mechanism). Therefore the forming of the sheet material arises from setting up of complex residual stress fields associated with the thermal gradients induced by the laser heating. Residual stresses have important consequences on the performance of engineering components. It is important to characterize these residual stresses as a function of process parameters such as line energy to optimise treatment conditions and to gain an insight into the mechanism of the formation of the final geometries.