LightScribe is an optical disc recording technology that was created by the Hewlett-Packard Company. It uses specially coated recordable CD and DVD media to produce laser-etched labels with text or graphics, as opposed to stick-on labels and printable discs. Although HP is no longer developing the technology, it is still maintained and supported by a number of independent enthusiasts. The LightScribe method uses the laser in a way similar to when plain data are written to the disc; a greyscale image of the label is etched (physically burned) onto the upper side of the disc using a laser. In the beginning, the discs were available only in a sepia color but later became available in many monochromatic colors. The purpose of LightScribe is to allow users to create direct-to-disc labels (as opposed to stick-on labels), using their optical disc writer. Special discs and a compatible disc writer are required. Before or after burning data to the read-side of the disc, the user turns the disc over and inserts it with the label side down. The drive's laser then burns the label side in such a way that an image is produced. (see Thermal printing; LightScribe uses a laser instead of a thermal printing head) History LightScribe was conceived by Hewlett-Packard engineer Daryl Anderson, and the coating's chemistry was developed by Dr. Makarand Gore, and brought to market through the joint design efforts of HP's imaging and optical storage divisions, where it was first introduced in January 2004 at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show. It was the first direct to disc labeling technology that allowed users to laser etch images to the label side of a disc. DiscT@2 technology had been on the market since 2002, but DiscT@2 allows users to burn only to the unused portion of the data side of the disc. In 2005, LabelFlash became the main competitor for LightScribe. Various brands manufacture the required media. Dual Layer DVD+Rs are the highest-capacity disc to support the technology. No LightScribe Blu-ray discs were ever developed or manufactured, though Blu-ray drives with LightScribe technology (supporting the older formats) were on the market. Companies such as HP, Samsung, LaCie and LiteOn had announced that they were phasing out LightScribe drives by June 2013. LG was one of the last companies to manufacture LightScribe drives but ultimately followed suit. , LightScribe.com HP's official LightScribe website has been removed. This has been replaced