Importance

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Abstract

A thermally rewritable instrument, such as a card, tag, ticket, or label, includes a substrate and a thermosensitive optical recording medium on a front or back face of the substrate. A topcoat in the form of a high-temperature coating is applied over the thermosensitive optical recording medium to substantial advantage. For example, the disclosed topcoat enables the instrument to be thermally printed without producing speckle that would otherwise accompany such thermal printing prior to the thermosensitive optical recording medium being thermally erased. The topcoat as disclosed can also double or more the number of life cycles printing and erasing the underlying thermosensitive optical recording medium can undergo without significant loss of image density. In addition, the disclosed topcoat can be arranged to have an ink-repellant surface to deter the adherence of stray marks or graffiti over the front or back face of the instrument.

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First Claim