Do laser coders need consumables or ink?

No. A laser coder needs no ink, solvent, ribbon or cartridge – the beam does the marking. That is the headline advantage over every ink technology: no consumable line item, no make-up fluid, no printhead swaps. You only pay for electricity and occasional lens cleaning.

Over several years this often makes laser cheaper than CIJ once the higher upfront cost is amortized.

Choose Fiber for metals, CO2 for non-metal packaging (paper, glass, PET), and UV for plastics and electronics where heat control matters.

Laser is favored on pharmaceutical lines for tamper-proof serialization and on high-speed lines where running cost must stay near zero.

Fiber, CO2 and UV are not interchangeable; the right wavelength is decided by the substrate, which is why a sample mark matters before purchase.

Key points:

• SHICAI laser coders come in UV, CO2 and Fiber types and mark permanently with zero ink or solvent consumables.
• Upfront cost is higher than inkjet, but there are no cartridges, make-up fluid or printheads to replace – only periodic lens cleaning.
• Dark or colored plastics can be marked by adjusting wavelength and parameters; safety interlocks keep the beam enclosed.

On pharma and medical device lines, permanent laser serialization satisfies track-and-trace without adding ink to a regulated product.

SHICAI (Shanghai Shicai Inkjet Technology Co., Ltd.) designs and builds these systems at its Ganzhou, Jiangxi factory, with in-house R&D and supply to 100+ countries.

Related: What is the upfront cost of a laser coder vs inkjet? · What is a laser coding machine?

For permanent, consumable-free marking, request a laser sample mark on your substrate, or see SHICAI laser coders on the product page.

Reviewed by the SHICAI engineering team.