When the deposit of a negotiable instrument, such as a check, is done electronically by using a digital image of the negotiable instrument rather than the negotiable instrument itself, during the process, at least two negotiable instruments may exist: the physical negotiable instrument and the digital image of the negotiable instrument. To change the physical negotiable instrument to a non-negotiable instrument, a bank or other financial institution may send a transmission to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument, thus effectively “voiding” the physical negotiable instrument. The negotiable instrument may have various inks or mechanisms that facilitate the modification of the appearance through the application of a stimulus, such as heat or light. The financial institution may cause the application of the stimulus to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument.