Patent ID: 8761216

Claim:
A method for creating a mark on an anodized metal article comprising: providing a laser marking system having a laser, laser optics, a stage, a controller operatively connected to said laser, said laser optics and said stage and laser pulse parameters which characterize the interaction between laser pulses and said anodized metal article; determining particular laser pulse parameters associated with creating said mark; controlling said laser to produce, in cooperation with said controller and laser optics, laser pulses having said particular laser pulse parameters; and controlling said laser optics to direct, in cooperation with said controller and said stage, said laser pulses to impinge upon said anodized metal article thereby creating said mark, wherein the anodized metal article includes a metal substrate and an anodic oxide layer disposed over a metal substrate surface of the metal substrate wherein the anodic oxide layer has an anodic oxide layer upper surface, and wherein creating said mark comprises creating said mark underneath said anodic oxide layer upper surface.