A method of making an optical fiber having a strippable polyimide coating includes the steps of drawing an optical fiber through curable polyamic acid solution to form a coating on the fiber and curing the coated fiber. The cured coating can subsequently be stripped from the optical fiber by exposing the cured coating to an organic polar solvent such as acetone. A fiber having a strippable polyimide coating is also provided. The method is particularly applicable to heavy metal fluoride fibers, and to chalcogenide fibers which carry optical signals in the infrared region.