Lasering bar codes

[Randy Digby]

Just checking to se if anyone has had any luck lasering bar codes on anodized aluminum and laminated plastic? My code will be 3 of 9 format. If you have experience, the following is my first group of questions?
1. Did you find one font worked better than others, and if so, whuich font would you suggest?
2. Did you find that one color of anodized was more readable that others, and it so - which color?
3. If you got bar codes to read in plastic, was there a color preference for readability?
4. What reader would you suggest to test the code readability?
Just a few questions but I will take all the unasked for advice you have to offer.
Thanks.

[Scott Shepherd]

I've not done them, but looked into it a couple of times over the years. Corel has one tool built in, it's under "edit" then "insert barcode". The one I've seen the most recommended is a piece of software called "Bartender". I believe the site is here : http://www.seagullscientific.com/aspx/btw_table_of_contents.aspx

[Dan Hintz]

Black is the best, clear is the worst ;) Actually, brass is the worst color, but the majority of colors provide enough contrast to work well, as long as the barcode isn't extremely fine-lined. 3D barcodes work quite well in anodized due to the high resolution of the substrate. Your "font" (i.e., the code type) will be dependent upon the client and/or the product.

[Bill Cunningham]

I don't have a scanner. In the beginning, I did several samples on different colours for my customer, and we decided on white/engraves black and yellow engraves black after my customer tested them.. Since then, I've done thousands of bar codes into plastic. (code 128) for them, and never heard a problem from them.. These were to be mounted on machines (silicone adh.) because everything had to be washed down w/hp water at the end of each day..

[Randy Digby]

Thanks for all your replys. Experimentation begins shortly.