Patent Publication Number: US-2011052297-A1

Title: Printable form having separable tape-interconnected sections providing image transfer therebetween

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a business form that is printable within a high-heat printer and provides impressed image transfer between portions of the form. More specifically, the present invention concerns a foldable form with multiple portions that automatically transfers an impressed image from one portion to another portion when one portion is folded behind another portion, with the portions being retained together with heat-resistant tape. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various industries face a need to fill out a form and have an image copy created immediately, without requiring a traditional photocopy to be made. Such an image copy form is frequently used by service or repair professionals (such as lawn care, pest control, auto repair, delivery tickets, and the like), where a copy of notes or options indicated by the service professional at the time of consultation can be made and left with the customer for record keeping. 
     Traditionally, image copy forms have been multiple-sheet forms that include a plurality of coextensive, full sheets initially joined together. A common design has been to secure the plurality of sheets along a top edge so that the plurality of sheets remain aligned and together during the execution of handwritten notes, numerals, check marks, and the like on a first top sheet. The construction of the form creates an image copy or copies on second or additional bottom sheets. After impression, the multiple sheets can then be separated, such as by tearing along a glued attachment portion along the top edge of the sheets. 
     Historically, these multiple-sheet forms have included a sheet of carbon paper disposed between successive copy sheets. Carbon paper is a lightweight tissue paper that has been coated with a carbon ink that will transfer an image to another sheet when pressure is applied. The carbon paper would act to transfer the image made on the first top sheet to the second sheet below the carbon paper. Multiple copies on additional bottom sheets can be created by including additional sheets of carbon paper between the additional sheet layers. 
     Multiple-sheet forms have also been created that eliminate the use of carbon paper, instead using a carbonless transfer paper to create the image transfer between successive sheets. Carbonless transfer paper is a paper that includes a chemical coating on the front side (designated in the industry as CF), on the rear side (designated in the industry as CB), or on both sides (designated in the industry as CFB). A conventional multiple-sheet form using two sheet layers of carbonless transfer paper is typically arranged with a top sheet having a CB coating on the rear side thereof and a bottom sheet underlying the top sheet and having a CF coating on the front side thereof. When a handwritten or machine impression is made on the top sheet, the impression transfers from the top sheet to the bottom sheet due to the bursting of tiny microcapsules in the chemical coating used to release a darkened copy of the impression occurring on the top sheet. 
     Other conventional multiple-sheet forms using more than two sheet layers of carbonless transfer paper are typically arranged as above with additional intermediate sheets between the top and bottom sheets having a CFB coating on both the front and rear sides thereof. In this way, the intermediate sheets both accept the impressed image from the sheet above and transfer the impressed image to the next sheet below. Many such forms include sheets with a CFB coating even on the top and bottom sheets, such that all of the layered sheets of the form include the same carbonless transfer coatings thereon. 
     While carbonless forms have alleviated the need for a carbon paper sheet layer between successive sheet layers, these products have retained the conventional layered construction of multiple, coextensive, full sheets, often requiring complex alignment and securement of the multiple sheets used in a single form. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the continued use of multiple-sheet forms results in associated production and material costs for such complex arrangements, as well as adding to the amount of paper waste commonly found in printing environments and landfills. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a business form that comprises multiple distinct portions and provides an impressed image transfer between distinct portions of the form when one portion is folded behind another portion. The distinct portions of the form are secured together with a heat-resistant tape such that the entire form is printable within a high-heat printer to create printed material on parts of the form. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a foldable business form is provided that is printable within a high-heat printer and provides image transfer between portions of the form. The form includes a first portion formed from a first web and a second portion formed from a second web. The first and second portions cooperatively form opposite substantially continuous printable surfaces, and are positioned in anon-overlapping, edge-to-edge relationship with one another to define a seam therebetween. The first portion presents a first primary indicia area on one of the printable surfaces and the second portion presents a second primary indicia area on the other one of the printable surfaces such that the primary indicia areas are located on different portions and on opposite printable surfaces. The primary indicia areas each include preprinted indicia, and are cooperatively oriented such that, when the form is folded about the seam and the portions superimposed, one primary indicia area underlies the other primary indicia area and the preprinted indicia are aligned between respective primary indicia areas. The first and second portions each include a carbonless transfer coating applied to the same surface of both portions such that, when the preprinted indicia are aligned between respective primary indicia areas, an impressed image created on the primary indicia area of one portion is automatically transferred to a corresponding location on the primary indicia area of the other portion. The form further includes tape retaining the first portion and the second portion in the edge-to-edge relationship. The tape is heat resistant such that the tape is capable of maintaining adhesion and thereby substantially retaining the first portion and said second portion in the edge-to-edge relationship without fracturing as the form is passed through the printer. The tape includes a line of weakness therein defined at least partly along the seam to facilitate folding of the form at the seam and separation of the portions from one another. 
     Another aspect of the present invention concerns a method of forming a foldable business form product that is printable within a high-heat printer and provides image transferability between portions of the form by feeding first and second continuous substrate webs along a longitudinal path, with each of the webs including a carbonless transfer coating applied to a face thereof, aligning the first and second webs in a non-overlapping, edge-to-edge relationship to define a seam therebetween, with the seam extending along and being at least generally parallel to the path, and applying a continuous streamer of tape to the webs over and along the seam to retain the webs in the edge-to-edge relationship to thereby form a common continuous sheet having opposite substantially continuous printable surfaces, with the coated faces of the webs being presented along a common one of the printable surfaces so that, when the form is folded at the seam to orient the faces against one another, an impressed image created on one of the webs is automatically transferred to the other one of the webs, wherein the tape is heat resistant such that the tape is capable of maintaining adhesion and thereby substantially retaining the webs in the edge-to-edge relationship without fracturing when the business product is passed through the printer, and wherein the tape includes a line of weakness therein defined at least partly along the seam to facilitate folding of the form at the seam and separation of the webs from one another. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     Various other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a business form product constructed in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, including a form comprising an upper first portion and a lower second portion joined edge-to-edge along a seam and adhered at the seam with a heat-resistant tape, and depicting printed indicia on the front face of each of the portions; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the business form product of  FIG. 1 , showing the heat-resistant tape overlying the seam with a perforation line in the tape disposed along the seam, and depicting printed indicia on the rear face of the first portion; 
         FIG. 3  is a side sectional view of the business form product of  FIG. 1 , taken substantially along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 , showing the seam between the first and second portions and the heat-resistant tape underlying the seam, and depicting schematically a CF coating applied to the rear face of the first portion and a CB coating applied to the rear face of the second portion; 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the business form product of  FIG. 1 , with the first portion having been folded about the seam into a disposition partially behind the second portion, showing the printed indicia on the rear face of the first portion aligning with the printed indicia on the front face of the second portion; 
         FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the business form product of  FIG. 1 , with the first portion having been folded about the seam into a disposition behind the second portion, and depicting schematically the CF coating on the first portion underlying the CB coating on the second portion; and 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the business form product of  FIG. 1 , with the first portion being partially separated from the second portion by tearing along the perforation line of the heat-resistant tape. 
     
    
    
     The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the preferred embodiments. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. While the drawings illustrate, and the specification describes, certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way of example only. There is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments. 
     With initial reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a foldable business form  10  constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with printed indicia thereon. The form  10  broadly includes a first portion  12  and a second portion  14  interconnected with heat-resistant tape  16 , as described in detail below. 
     The depicted form  10  provides impressed image transfer between the portions  12 ,  14  to automatically create a copy of impression marks created on one of the portions (the second portion  14  in the depicted embodiment) on the other one of the portions (the first portion  12  in the depicted embodiment). It is initially noted that the form  10  of the illustrated embodiment is a single ply form including two portions  12 ,  14  so that two total images (one original and one copy) are created during use. Should more than two copies be desired, an alternative form could include additional portions formed and joined together in the manner described herein to produce more copies. Alternatively, either instead of or in conjunction with such additional portions, one or more portions could comprise multiple layers or plies configured to transfer an image therebetween (e.g., an alternative first portion including two plies could be joined to the second portion  14  depicted herein), as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. Such alternative and the like for producing more than two copies would not depart from the teachings of the present invention. 
     The illustrated form  10  is generally formed by aligning two continuous webs and joining the webs with a streamer of heat-resistant tape to form a continuous roll. The illustrated form  10  is an individual form that has been preprinted and sheeted from such a continuous roll and is configured to be printed in a high-heat printer, such as an offline laser printer, by an end user. The principles of the present invention, however, are not limited to preprinted, sheeted forms, but also apply equally to other business form products, including a continuous roll, either before or after preprinting. It is noted that while the illustrated form  10  is formed by merging two continuous webs (corresponding to the first portion  12  and the second portion  14  upon sheeting), an alternative form including the merging of more than two webs is within the ambit of the present invention. 
     With continued attention to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the form  10  is a bisectional, generally rectangular form presenting opposite substantially continuous printable surfaces  18 ,  20 . In other words, the form  10  can be fed into a single printing system to print the entire surface  18 , the entire surface  20 , or both surfaces  18 ,  20 , in one application. In the depicted embodiment, the form  10  is a standard letter-size form (i.e., 8.5″ by 11″), although other sizes and/or shapes for an alternative form are of course available without departing from the teachings of the present invention. 
     Turning now to additional details of the first portion  12  and the second portion  14 , it is initially noted that in the depicted form  10 , the portions  12 ,  14  are disposed as upper and lower portions, with the first portion  12  being disposed immediately above the second portion  14 . This depicted arrangement is by way of example only, as alternative arrangements between portions (such as side-by-side) may be alternatively configured, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. 
     The first portion  12  is generally rectangular in shape and includes a lower edge  22  that is substantially straight. The second portion  14  is also generally rectangular in shape and includes an upper edge  24  that is substantially straight. While the portions  12 ,  14  are depicted as rectangles, other shapes/sizes for alternative forms are within the ambit of the present invention. The edges  22 ,  24  present similar lengths and are disposed in anon-overlapping, edge-to-edge relationship with one another to define a seam  26  between the edges  22 ,  24  of the portions  12 ,  14 . The first portion  12  and the second portion  14  are retained in such positional relationship by the heat-resistant tape  16 , which joins the portions  12 ,  14  together and spans the seam  26  as described in detail below. It is also noted that additional numbers of portions (e.g., an alternative form could include three or more separable portions) are within the ambit of the present invention. 
     The first portion  12  presents opposite first faces, depicted as a first front face  28  and a first rear face  30 . The second portion  14  presents opposite second faces, depicted as a second front face  32  and a second rear face  34 . As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first front face  28  and the second front face  32  cooperatively form the substantially continuous printable surface  18 , while the first rear face  30  and the second rear face  34  cooperatively form the substantially continuous printable surface  20 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion  12  and the second portion  14  each comprise paper that cooperatively provide a directional impressed image transfer, as explained in detail below. It is noted that the portions  12 ,  14  may be formed of papers or other materials of different color, brightness, finish, and/or thickness and the like in order for an end user to quickly and easily distinguish between the portions  12 ,  14 . It is further noted that alternative forms may include portions made of materials other than conventional papers (such as laminated materials) without departing from the teachings of the present invention. 
     The first and second portions  12 ,  14  each include a primary indicia area  36 ,  38 , respectively, disposed on opposite sides thereof. As depicted on the form  10  of the illustrated embodiment, the first primary indicia area  36  is disposed on the first rear face  30  of the first portion  12  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). The second primary indicia area  38 , which is located on the surface opposite the first primary indicia area  36 , is disposed on the second front face  32  of the second portion  14  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, both of the primary indicia areas  36 ,  38  include adjacently spaced preprinted indicia  40 ,  42 , respectively, thereon. As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the preprinted indicia  40  on the first primary indicia area  36  and the preprinted indicia  42  on the second primary indicia area  38  are substantially identical, although such correspondence between the entireties of preprinted indicia  40 ,  42  is not necessary. Nonetheless, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, at least some correspondence between preprinted indicia  40 ,  42  can provide significant benefits to the operation of the form  10 . The preprinted indicia  40 ,  42  provide image spaces that are configured to receive handwritten annotations thereon, as described below. 
     In more detail, the preprinted indicia  40 ,  42  include location-specific content, such as a lined note area  44  and pluralities of adjacently spaced check boxes  46 . Moreover, the preprinted indicia  40  on the first rear face  30  of the first portion  12  is reflected about the seam  26  relative to the preprinted indicia  42  on the second front face  32  of the second portion  14 . In other words, when the form  10  is positioned in a flat condition (as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), and the preprinted indicia  42  on the second portion  14  is oriented right side up (see  FIG. 1 ), then the preprinted indicia  40  on the first portion  12  is oriented upside down (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     Turning briefly now to  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that when the first portion  12  is folded about the seam  26  into it a disposition behind the second portion  14  (as illustrated by folding direction arrow  48 ), then the first primary indicia area  36  underlies the second primary indicia area  38 . Furthermore, when the form  10  is in such a folded condition, the preprinted indicia  40 ,  42  are precisely and reliably aligned one on top of another (such that, for example, the lined note area  44  and check boxes  46  of the second preprinted indicia  42  exactly overlie corresponding lined note area  44  and check boxes  46  of the first preprinted indicia area  40 ). Such reliable precise alignment of the preprinted indicia  40 ,  42  is an important function of the portions  12 ,  14  being folded about the defined seam  26 , as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. 
     Returning briefly  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the form  10  of the illustrated embodiment also includes a first secondary indicia area  50  with preprinted secondary indicia  52  disposed thereon. The first secondary indicia area  50  is disposed on the first front face  28  of the first portion  12 , such that the indicia  52  is printed on the same continuous printable surface  18  as the indicia  42  of the second primary indicia area  38  on the second portion  14 . It is noted that the preprinted second indicia  52  on the first secondary indicia area  50  has no corresponding preprinted indicia or indicia area on the second portion  14 ; however, the inclusion of such corresponding indicia on an alternative form is of course within the ambit of the present invention. 
     With attention now to  FIG. 3 , the form  10  is illustrated schematically to depict the first and second portions  12 ,  14  each including a carbonless transfer coating  54 ,  56 , respectively, applied thereto. In particular, the carbonless transfer coatings  54 ,  56  are applied to the same continuous printable surface  20  of the form  10 . In more detail, the first portion  12  preferably includes a carbonless front (CF) coating  54  applied to the first rear face  30  thereof, and the second portion  14  preferably includes a carbonless back (CB) coating  56  applied to the second rear face  34  thereof. 
     The CF and CB coatings  54 ,  56  are chemical coatings that can be applied to the portions  12 ,  14  during formation of the form, as discussed below, or that can be preapplied to paper used to produce the portions  12 ,  14 . As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, a CF coated surface is capable of accepting, but not transferring, a pressure-transferred image, while a CB coated surface is capable of transferring, but not accepting, a pressure-transferred image. Furthermore, an alternative portion including a carbonless transfer coating applied to both the front and the back (CFB) could be used in place of either or both the depicted first and second portions  12 ,  14  without departing from the teachings of the present invention. The principles of the present invention further contemplate other alternative image transfer coatings, as may be suitable for the inventive form described herein. 
     It is noted that in the depicted embodiment, the first rear face  30  of the first portion  12  and the second rear face  34  of the second portion  14  are both entirely covered with the CF and CB coatings  54 ,  56 , respectively. Such extensive coverage, however, is not necessary, so long as the relevant indicia areas  38 ,  36  are sufficiently coated to effect the image transfer, as will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. In particular, the CF coating  54  on the first portion  12  is located at least partly within the first primary indicia area  36 , and the CB coating  56  is located in at least partial alignment with the CF coating  54  when the form  10  is folded as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in order to effect the desired image transfer. 
     Thus, when the form  10  is folded such that the first portion  12  is folded behind the second portion  14  about the seam  26  to thereby underlie the first portion  12 , as described in detail above, an image impressed on the second primary indicia area  38  of the second portion  14  is automatically transferred to a corresponding location on the first primary indicia area  36  of the first portion  12 . In this way, annotations or other marks indicated by an end user of the form  10 , particularly those made on the preprinted indicia  42  of the second portion  14  (such as service notes made in the lined note area  44  or marking an “X” in any of the check boxes  46 ) are instantly copied over to the preprinted indicia  40  of the first portion  12 . 
     As described above, the first and second portions  12 ,  14  each comprise paper. In one embodiment, the first portion  12  may comprise paper formed with the CF coating preapplied thereto (known in the industry as CF paper), and the second portion  14  may comprise paper with the CB coating preapplied thereto (known in the industry as CB paper). One suitable CF paper is available as 20 CF MM3992 from Appleton of Appleton, Wis., and one suitable CB paper is available as 20 CB MM4783 from Appleton of Appleton, Wis. Alternatively, either or both of the first and second portions  12 ,  14  may comprise paper or other material with a CFB coating thereon, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , a heat-resistant tape  16  is shown underlying the seam  26  to thereby retain the first portion  12  and the second portion  14  in the non-overlapping, edge-to-edge relationship described above. The tape  16  is heat-resistant so as to be capable of maintaining adhesion and thereby substantially retaining the first portion  12  and the second portion  14  in the edge-to-edge relationship without the tape  16  fracturing as the form  10  is passed through a high-heat printer. In particular, the heat-resistant tape  16  is capable of maintaining adhesion without fracturing at all ambient temperatures up to one-hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, and particularly between the ranges of one-hundred and one-hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. 
     The tape  16  generally includes a backing layer  58  and an adhesive layer  60 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the adhesive layer  60  is fixed to a section of the first portion  12  and a section of the second portion  14  on the rear face  30 ,  34 , respectively, of each of the portions  12 ,  14 . In this way, the heat-resistant tape  16  is fixed to the continuous printable surface  20  of the form  10  along which the carbonless transfer coating  54 ,  56  is applied. 
     The tape  16  further includes a line of weakness, shown specifically in the form of a perforation line  62 , extending therealong. As shown particularly in  FIG. 2 , the perforation line  62  lies along the seam  26  in order to facilitate easy removal of the first portion  12  from the second portion  14 , as described in detail below. Alternative suitable lines of weakness, such as a score line (not shown) are within the ambit of the present invention, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. 
     It is also noted that the tape  16  is generally flexible, such that when the first portion  12  is folded behind the second portion  14 , as described above, the form  10  “hinges” about the seam  26  while being held together by the tape  16 . It is further noted that while the tape  16  is shown schematically in  FIG. 3  as having appreciable thickness, such illustration is for exaggerated illustrative purposes only, with it being readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure that the tape  16  is sufficiently thin so that the substantially continuous printable surface  20  is able to pass through a printer and be printed. By way of example, one suitable tape is available as Polybond Tape—114m (identified as “Lazer” heat-resistant tape) from Polybond Sales Corporation of Derry, N.H. 
     The operation of the illustrated form  10  should be apparent from the foregoing and, therefore, will be described here only briefly. As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the form  10  includes preprinted indicia  40 ,  42  thereon, and additional indicia can be added to the form  10  by an end user by printing the form  10  on a high-heat printer, such as an offline laser printer. With particular reference to  FIGS. 4-6 , the form  10  is manipulated so that the first portion  12  is folded behind the second portion  14  about the seam  26 , which precisely lines up the preprinted indicia  40 ,  42 . When the first portion  12  underlies the second portion  14  such that faces  30 ,  34  of the same continuous printable surface  20  are adjacent one another, the form  10  can lie flat (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
     During use of the form  10 , after folding as described above, handwritten or otherwise impressed image marks, such as service notes made in the lined note area  44  or marking an “X” in any of the check boxes  46  (impressed image marks not shown) may be printed on the form  10 . As described in detail above, the impressed image marks made on the second front face  32  of the second portion  14  are automatically transferred to a corresponding location on the first rear face  30  of the first portion  12 . Thereafter, the first portion  12  and the second portion  14  can be separated by tearing along the perforation line  62  (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). This separation allows one of the portions (such as the first portion  12 ) to be left with a customer, while the other of the portions (such as the second portion  14 ) may be retained by the user for record keeping. 
     It is noted that an alternative embodiment of the form  10  could include carbonless transfer coatings applied to the front of the form, such as the continuous printable surface  18 . In such an alternative embodiment, the first portion  12  may include a carbonless back (CB) coating applied to the first front face  28  thereof, and the second portion  14  may include a carbonless front (CF) coating applied to the second front face  32  thereof. Other construction and structural details of the alternative embodiment, such as indicia areas, preprinted indicia, tape, and the like, could remain as described above. 
     The operation of such an alternative embodiment would involve manipulating the form  10  to fold the first portion  12  forwardly about the seam  26 , so that the first portion  12  overlies the second portion  14 , which would precisely line up the preprinted indicia  40 ,  42 . Handwritten of otherwise impressed image marks could then be printed on the first rear face  30  of the first portion  12 , which would automatically transfer to corresponding locations on the second front face  32  of the second portion  14 . The remainder of the operation of such an alternative form would be substantially the same as described above. 
     It is further noted that, as mentioned above, if the carbonless transfer coatings on the first and second portions  12 ,  14  are CFB coatings (such that both of the substantially continuous printable surfaces  18 ,  20  are coated), then the form  10  may be used by folding the portions  12 ,  14  together about the seam  26  in either direction to provide for the image transfer. In more detail, with the carbonless transfer coatings comprising CFB coatings, the first portion  12  would include carbonless transfer coatings on both the first front face  28  and the first rear face  30  thereof, and the second portion  14  would include carbonless transfer coatings on both the second front face  32  and the second rear face  34  thereof. 
     With such versatile carbonless transfer coatings applied thereto, the form  10  could be selectively manipulated to fold the first portion  12  rearwardly about the seam  26  to underlie the second portion  14  (as described above with respect to the depicted embodiment), or to fold the first portion  12  forwardly about the seam  26  to overlie the second portion  14  (as described above with respect to an alternative embodiment), either of which would precisely line up the preprinted indicia  40 ,  42 . Handwritten or otherwise impressed image marks could then be printed on the primary indicia area  36 ,  38  of the top portion (either the first portion  12  or the second portion  14 ), and such impressed marks will automatically transfer to the corresponding primary indicia area  36 ,  38  of the bottom portion (the other of the first portion  12  or the second portion  14 ), as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. 
     Regarding formation of the form  10 , an exemplary process involves feeding a first continuous substrate web (corresponding to the first portion  12 ) along a longitudinal path and feeding a second continuous substrate web (corresponding to the second portion  14 ) along the same longitudinal path. The first and second webs are aligned in a non-overlapping, edge-to-edge relationship to define the seam  26  therebetween, with the seam  26  extending along and being at least generally parallel to the longitudinal path. In the aligned condition, the first and second webs cooperatively present the opposite substantially continuous printable surfaces  18 ,  20  described in detail above. 
     Both the first web and the second web include carbonless transfer coatings  54 ,  56 , respectively, applied to a face thereof, with the coated faces corresponding to the same printable surface  20 . In the embodiment depicted, as described in detail above, the first web includes a carbonless front (CF) coating  54  applied to the first rear face  30  thereof, and the second web includes a carbonless back (CB) coating  56  applied to the second rear face  34  thereof. 
     A continuous streamer of heat-resistant tape  16  is applied to the first and second webs over and along the seam  26  to retain the webs in the edge-to-edge relationship to thereby form a continuous sheet. As described in detail above, the tape  16  is capable of maintaining adhesion without fracturing at ambient temperatures up to one-hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, and includes a line of weakness preferably in the form of the perforation line  62  defined at least partly along the seam  26  to facilitate folding of the webs relative to one another and easy separation of the webs from one another. 
     It is noted that the feeding, aligning, and joining of the first and second webs may be accomplished, for example, within a web-type rotary press (not shown), as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. One example of such a press suitable for use in feeding, aligning, and joining the first and second webs is an offset printing press, which can be configured to precisely align multiple webs for joining in anon-overlapping, edge-to-edge relationship, such as the first and second webs of the present invention. The use of alternative press machines or other equipment for the formation process is, of course, within the ambit of the present invention. 
     As described in detail above, the first and second webs (corresponding to the first and second portions  12 ,  14 , respectively) include primary indicia areas  36 ,  38 , respectively, disposed on opposite sides thereof. Adjacently spaced indicia  40 ,  42  is printed on the primary indicia areas  36 ,  38  of the first and second webs. The indicia  40 ,  42  can be printed by the same offset printing press used to feed, align, and join the webs (such as in a downstream printing operation), or could alternatively be added to a finished sheeted product (such as by printing in an offline laser printer), as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. In the embodiment shown, the indicia on the first web  40  is the same as the indicia on the second web  42 , only reflected about the seam  26 , as described in detail above. 
     It is also noted that the carbonless transfer coatings  54 ,  56  can be applied to the first and second webs by the same offset printing press used to feed, align, and join the webs discussed above, or could alternatively be preapplied to paper webs of the first and second portions  12 ,  14  without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Following the formation process outlined above, the continuous sheet can be rolled into a continuous roll, either before or after printing, or can be sheeted into a plurality of individual forms (such as the illustrated form  10 ), all of which are within the ambit of the present invention. 
     The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used as illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 
     The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and access the reasonably fair scope of the present invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.