Panel assemblies that include a core sandwiched between face sheets made from composite material. A pigmented topcoat layer is applied directly to the composite material without the need for a separate adhesive. The pigmented topcoat layer includes a thermoplastic binder resin/pigment mixture that can be cured with the composite material in a single step. The topcoat may include permanent and/or temporary substrates for carrying the binder resin/pigment mixture and for providing a surface finish to the panel assembly.