Laser-Marking Masterbatch — Cannot Laser-Mark on Dark or Colored Plastic

1. Problem

A part needs a permanent, high-contrast laser mark (barcode, batch code, logo) and the base resin does not respond — the mark is faint, blurred, or invisible.

2. Symptoms

• Faint or invisible mark on black or dark parts
• Blurred or low-contrast mark on light parts
• Mark burns through instead of marking cleanly
• Inconsistent mark across production batches

3. Investigation (Before Prescribing an Additive)

Before recommending any Masterbatch, work through these checks:

• Identify laser wavelength (1064 nm Nd:YAG / fiber is most common) and power window.
• Classify the marking goal — dark mark on light background or light mark on dark background.
• Check whether color must remain unchanged in unmarked areas.
• Check regulatory or food-contact restrictions.

Not every symptom needs an additive — sometimes the correct answer is a resin change, a process change, or drying. Investigation prevents wasted spend on a Masterbatch that does not fix the true root cause.

4. Candidate Masterbatch Family

One family commonly evaluated is Laser-Marking Masterbatch — specialty pigments (antimony-based, non-antimony, or bismuth-based) that absorb the laser wavelength and create a contrasting mark without heavy engraving. Chemistry depends on background color and target contrast.

This page does not prescribe a specific SKU. Grade selection depends on the RFQ Mini Technical Specification at the bottom.

5. Polymer Considerations

Compatible carriers exist for most engineering and commodity resins. High-loading may shift the base color slightly.

For polymer-specific carrier compatibility, see Wave 8 — Polymer × Masterbatch.

6. Application Examples

Common applications where this problem appears:

• Automotive interior parts (Wave 10 Automotive Injection)
• Electrical and electronic housings
• Medical device parts
• Consumer packaging codes and traceability

7. RFQ Mini Technical Specification (9 Fields)

Under Application-First Selling v1.0 and Problem-First Discovery v1.0, an RFQ from this page should include every field below so the supplier can respond without a clarifying round-trip:

1. Polymer — grade + MFI
2. Indoor / Outdoor service — service environment
3. UV exposure — region (kLy/year), hours/day, expected years
4. Processing method — film, injection, blow, pipe, sheet, raffia
5. Color target — color family + Pantone/RAL if applicable
6. Thickness / gauge / wall — µm or mm
7. Expected lifetime — months or years
8. Regulatory requirements — FDA, EU 10/2011, NSF-61, REACH, RoHS, UL, or industry-specific
9. Annual volume — kg or MT/year

Continue Your Path

• Understand the engineering → Wave 2 — Color Masterbatch Explained
• Match by polymer → Wave 8 — Polymer × Masterbatch
• Match by application → Wave 10 — Application × Masterbatch
• Prepare specifications → use the 9-field checklist above
• Submit RFQ → /quote

Allzone supplies industrial Masterbatch across North America. We do not publish inventory or lead-time claims on knowledge pages. Submit an RFQ with the 9 fields above for a technical response.