A recording sheet consisting mainly of fibrous material is capable of displaying a colored image when contacted under pressure with substantially colorless crystal violet lactone and similar dye precursors if at least 3% of the fibrous material is constituted by uniformly distributed asbestos fibers. Sheets having adequate strength for carbonless copying should not contain more than 30% asbestos fibers. Stronger colors are obtained if the sheet further contains a mixture of .gamma.-alumina and .gamma.-alumina precursors in an amount of 2% to 20% of the weight of the fibrous material, the mixture containing 1% to 30% water volatile at 1000.degree. C, and being converted substantially entirely to .gamma.-alumina when heated from 300.degree. to 1000.degree. C.