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Convective deposition of a monolayer of microspheres by drawing a meniscus of a suspension across a substrate is used to fabricate microlens arrays to enhance the photon extraction efficiency of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The self-assembly of a colloidal crystal within the blade-drawn thin film is dominated by capillary forces and the thickness of this crystal depends on many parameters, including the deposition rate and particle size. This study investigates these and other parameters such as angle and hydrophobicity of the deposition blade that have not previously been considered. Using a confocal laser scanning microscope, the local and long-range order of the deposited particles are evaluated by the radial distribution function, and the fraction of the number of nearest neighbors and local bond order, demonstrating the dependence of the microstructure on the deposition parameters. Our results suggest …