Laser Settings for Anodised Aluminium

Can you laser engrave anodised aluminium?

Yes — one of the friendliest metal-adjacent materials, because you're marking the anodised coating rather than the metal. Diode and CO2 lasers produce a bright mark where the coating lifts; fibre lasers can produce a brilliant white using defocus.

DIODE450 nm settings

Variant	Operation	Speed	Power	Passes	Ref.
Anodised aluminium	Mark	3,000–6,000 mm/min	60–80%	1	10 W

✓ MarkMarks the anodised layer, not the metal beneath.

CO210.6 µm settings

Variant	Operation	Speed	Power	Passes	Ref.
Anodised aluminium	Mark	250–350 mm/s	15–30%	1	60 W

✓ MarkBright mark where the coating lifts.

FIBRE1064 nm settings

Variant	Operation	Speed	Power	Passes	Frequency
Anodised aluminium	Bright mark	800–1,000 mm/s	7–30%	2 (0°/90°)	100–175 kHz

✓ Bright markDefocus +1.5–2 mm broadens the beam for a bright white.

UV355 nm settings

Variant	Operation	Speed	Power	Passes	Frequency
Anodised / painted metal	Mark	medium	moderate	multiple	varies

✓ MarkAlters the coating without touching the substrate.

PrepPreparation & technique

Degrease with alcohol. On fibre, defocus +1.5–2 mm and run two passes at 0° and 90° for the brightest white.

⚠ SafetyStandard extraction. Verify unusual coatings before lasering — anodising is safe, mystery paint is not.

LearnMatching tutorials

Your First Metal Mark

All values are starting points at the stated reference wattage. Run a test grid on your own machine and material batch first.

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