A system for laser marking of individual consumable articles, the system comprising: at least two indexing wheels (104, 106) being substantially coaxial and having respective circumferential peripheries with a multiplicity of open pockets distributed thereabout, each said pocket being configured to releasably receive an individual consumable article for substantially stabilized transport of said article with the respective said pocket, said indexing wheels (104, 106) configured to be incrementally rotated in alternating indexing fashion for transporting discrete arrays of respective said pockets through at least a loading zone, a marking zone, an inspection zone, a reject zone, and an unloading zone, wherein each indexing wheel (104, 106) is paused between respective incremental rotations, said marking zone and inspection zone being substantially or entirely collocated; a feeding mechanism configured to feed one of said articles into each pocket transported through said loading zone; a laser marker device for marking said articles in respective pockets positioned within said marking zone while the respective said indexing wheel (104, 106) is paused; a first inspection system by which articles that have been marked within said marking zone may be inspected for proper marking and identified as either accepted or rejected, said first inspection system being configured to receive a marking zone image during each period in which both said indexing wheels (104, 106) are momentarily paused between respective incremental rotations, said marking zone image encompassing respective arrays of both said indexing wheels (104, 106) positioned within said marking zone, wherein said marking zone image is adapted to provide pocket presence data for the array which has yet to be marked on one said indexing wheel, and marking inspection data for the array which has been just marked on another said indexing wheel; a rejection subsystem for removing each of said rejected articles from respective pockets within said reject zone; a reject verification sensor for verifying said removing of each of said rejected articles; and a collection device configured to receive articles from said unloading zone which have been marked by said laser marker device and identified as accepted. at least two indexing wheels (104, 106) being substantially coaxial and having respective circumferential peripheries with a multiplicity of open pockets distributed thereabout, each said pocket being configured to releasably receive an individual consumable article for substantially stabilized transport of said article with the respective said pocket, said indexing wheels (104, 106) configured to be incrementally rotated in alternating indexing fashion for transporting discrete arrays of respective said pockets through at least a loading zone, a marking zone, an inspection zone, a reject zone, and an unloading zone, wherein each indexing wheel (104, 106) is paused between respective incremental rotations, said marking zone and inspection zone being substantially or entirely collocated; a feeding mechanism configured to feed one of said articles into each pocket transported through said loading zone; a laser marker device for marking said articles in respective pockets positioned within said marking zone while the respective said indexing wheel (104, 106) is paused; a first inspection system by which articles that have been marked within said marking zone may be inspected for proper marking and identified as either accepted or rejected, said first inspection system being configured to receive a marking zone image during each period in which both said indexing wheels (104, 106) are momentarily paused between respective incremental rotations, said marking zone image encompassing respective arrays of both said indexing wheels (104, 106) positioned within said marking zone, wherein said marking zone image is adapted to provide pocket presence data for the array which has yet to be marked on one said indexing wheel, and marking inspection data for the array which has been just marked on another said indexing wheel; a rejection subsystem for removing each of said rejected articles from respective pockets within said reject zone; a reject verification sensor for verifying said removing of each of said rejected articles; and a collection device configured to receive articles from said unloading zone which have been marked by said laser marker device and identified as accepted.