A method for creating a mark with a desired colour on an article, wherein the article comprises a metal having a metal surface, and which method comprises: • providing a laser for emitting a laser beam comprising laser pulses having a pulse energy, a pulse width, a pulse repetition frequency, and a wavelength; • providing a scanner comprising a first mirror for scanning the laser beam in a first direction, and a second mirror for scanning the laser beam in a second direction; • providing a lens for focussing the laser beam from the laser onto the metal surface to form a spot having a spot diameter and a pulse fluence; • providing a controller for controlling the scanner with a control signal; • marking a plurality of lines separated by a hatch distance on the metal surface to form the mark by scanning the scanner while pulsing the laser; and • selecting a scan speed, the pulse repetition frequency, and the spot diameter to provide a desired spot to spot separation between the centres of consecutive spots during each scan of the scanner; the method being characterized by: • prior to marking with the laser the article has a mark-facilitating layer applied to the metal surface, which mark-facilitating layer allows the laser pulses to pass through the mark-facilitating layer and strike the metal surface; • selecting the pulse fluence to cause a plume comprising material from the metal surface to be ejected from the metal surface, • retaining at least a portion of the plume with the mark-facilitating layer in contact with the metal surface in order to enable the plume to mark the metal surface; • the colour being given by the spot to spot separation, the hatch distance, the pulse fluence, the pulse width, and the number of times each line is written; and • selecting the spot to spot separation, the hatch distance, the pulse fluence, the pulse width, and the number of times each line is written to form the desired colour; and • wherein the metal surface is a non-anodized metal surface. • providing a laser for emitting a laser beam comprising laser pulses having a pulse energy, a pulse width, a pulse repetition frequency, and a wavelength; • providing a scanner comprising a first mirror for scanning the laser beam in a first direction, and a second mirror for scanning the laser beam in a second direction; • providing a lens for focussing the laser beam from the laser onto the metal surface to form a spot having a spot diameter and a pulse fluence; • providing a controller for controlling the scanner with a control signal; • marking a plurality of lines separated by a hatch distance on the metal surface to form the mark by scanning the scanner while pulsing the laser; and • selecting a scan speed, the pulse repetition frequency, and the spot diameter to provide a desired spot to spot separation between the centres of consecutive spots during each scan of the scanner; • prior to marking with the laser the article has a mark-facilitating layer applied to the metal surface, which mark-facilitating layer allows the laser pulses to pass through the mark-facilitating layer and strike the metal surface; • selecting the pulse fluence to cause a plume comprising material from the metal surface to be ejected from the metal surface, • retaining at least a portion of the plume with the mark-facilitating layer in contact with the metal surface in order to enable the plume to mark the metal surface; • the colour being given by the spot to spot separation, the hatch distance, the pulse fluence, the pulse width, and the number of times each line is written; and • selecting the spot to spot separation, the hatch distance, the pulse fluence, the pulse width, and the number of times each line is written to form the desired colour; and • wherein the metal surface is a non-anodized metal surface.