Laser Marking FAQ's

Question- How much thinner do I need?

Answer- In a brush on application the LMM-6000 & LMM-14 should be thinned 2 parts ethanol 1 part LMM-6000 & LMM-14 more ethanol if needed. We recommend a maximum thinning ratio of 1 part LMM-6000 & LMM-14 to 1 part ethanol for spraying. Ethanol can also be added to help aid in brushing, it will help brush marks flow out. MEK and acetone are stronger solvents; therefore less thinning will be needed when using these solvents.

Question- How do I thin LMM-6000, & LMM-14?

Answer- LMM-6000 & LMM-14 can be thinned with denatured alcohol, ethanol, acetone or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Add the thinner to the LMM-6000 and stir or shake thoroughly. Isopropyl alcohol should be avoided.

Question- How much LMM-6000, & LMM-14 do I apply?

Answer- You should apply only enough of these products to hide the metal surface. Applying more will result in having to use more laser power to create marks; it will not make the marks darker.

Question- How do I apply LMM-6000 & LMM-14?

Answers- These products can be applied using the following application methods: spray, brush or screen print. These products should be applied directly to the metal substrate, but care must be taken to ensure that an even coat is applied. The LMM-6000 & LMM-14 can be applied using spray and foam br

ush applications methods. Any variation in the coating such as brush marks may translate into variation in the final mark appearance. Spraying will give you the best results and the most evenly applied coating. When spraying these products we recommend the product be applied in a well ventilated area or spray booth designed to pull air away from user.

Question- I use the same settings specified by TherMark and I get terrible results. What can be wrong?

Answer-  There are a number of circumstances which can cause this:

For exactly same situation described you may get bad results due to being out of focus. See above.

The coating thickness makes a huge difference, too. Try a few different coating thicknesses to get the best results.

Check which kind of lens you are using. Different lenses with different focal lengths will have different beam waists at the focal plain, requiring different power and speed settings.

A common error is failure to perform the proper conversion of settings. Settings are often given in percentages, but 80% power on a 45W laser is not the same as 80% power on a 30W laser. Similarly, 80% speed on a laser which goes 140 in/sec at 100% speed is not the same as 80% speed on a laser which goes 60 in/sec at 100% speed. Make sure to convert percentages so they are relevant for your laser. Remember, the important thing is absolute power (Watts) and absolute speed (in/sec or cm/sec).

Mode of operation is also very important. It is important to understand the differences between rastering vs. vectoring and continuous wave vs. pulse. For more information, please visit our Laser Settings Section.

Question- The marked graphic is not sharp; lines are thicker than in the picture. What could be wrong?

Answer- A common reason for this problem is that your laser is out of focus. When your laser is focus, the narrowest waist of the laser beam is the part of the beam which hits the substrate. When you are out of focus, a wider part of the beam is hitting the substrate. Despite being somewhat out of focus it is still possible to create a bonded mark. However, the excess beam width will reduce the resolution you can achieve. In order to fix this problem, re-focus your laser. Once you bring the laser into focus you may need to reduce your laser power setting.

Question- Can you screen-print the LMM-6000 or LMM-14?

Answer- NO! This is not recommended.

Question- The laser marking materials look great after laser marking them, but when I go to rinse them off they wipe clean. What am I doing wrong?

Answer- Usually this means you are not allowing the laser enough time to bond the materials to the substrate. You can adjust by lowering the marking speed (expressed in %, in/sec, or cm/sec). We recommend this be done in 5% increments. A power grid on a sample piece may help to visualize the settings better.

Question- I get inconsistent marks after marking. Different parts of the graphics have different contrast and quality.

Answer- This may happen when the coating of CerMark materials is not homogeneous along the surface being marked. This usually occurs when airbrushing or foam brushing our liquid products. Care must be taken to master a technique which works for you so you can evenly apply the ink along the whole target surface every time. 

Question- While laser marking my substrate I notice the laser marking materials are peeling back like a sticker. What is going wrong?

Answer- If the materials are peeling back, one of two things is occurring:

There may be a coating of some sort preventing the CerMark laser marking materials from bonding to the substrate. We usually see this with lacquer coated metals (these coatings are common on aluminum, brass, and pewter). If you are not sure whether or not your substrate has a lacquer coating, you can test by direct laser marking (to remove the coating), applying CerMark materials, and then re-laser marking on the same spot. If the materials bond, then you know a coating was causing your problem.

If you know your piece is not lacquer coated, the problem may be stemming from residue left behind by a cleaning agent such as an over the counter glass cleaner. Simply wash the substrate with warm water to remove any cleaning agent residue. Note: When marking with the TherMark LMC products on ceramic substrates, you should never use cleaning agents to wash or clean debris and oils off the substrate. Matte finished ceramics will hold the agents in the porous surfaces and will give you great difficulty when marking.

Speed. Peeling may occur when the correct amount of laser energy has been applied to the substrate but with too high a speed setting. The materials are bonding to themselves but have not had enough time to bond to the substrate. To fix this problem, slow down the laser marking speed until you achieve the Correct Settings.