Patent ID: 8293679

Claim:
A method for erasing an image comprising: irradiating an image formed on a thermoreversible recording medium with a laser light having a wavelength of 700 nm to 1,500 nm so as to erase the image, wherein an energy density of the laser light is in a range of the energy density which can erase the image and is greater than a center value of the range of the energy density, wherein the energy density is in a range of 58 mJ/mm 2 to 68 mJ/mm 2 , wherein the energy density is changed by changing an output of the laser light or a scanning linear velocity of the laser light, wherein the output of the laser light applied in the irradiation of the image is in a range of 5 W to 200 W, and wherein the thermoreversible recording medium comprises: a support; and a thermoreversible recording layer on the support, and wherein the thermoreversible recording layer contains a leuco dye serving as an electron-donating color-forming compound and a reversible developer serving as an electron-accepting compound, in which color tone reversibly changes by heat, and at least one of the thermoreversible recording layer and a layer adjacent to the thermoreversible recording layer contains a photothermal conversion material, which absorbs the light and converts the light into heat.