Copper has a high thermal conductivity and thermal transfer properties and is used commonly for wiring, printed circuit boards and pressurized flow meters and marking on it is possible with the copper laser marking machine. The thermal properties of the copper laser marking machine are ideal for laser marking systems for metal because the heat is quickly dissipated. This reduces the impact the laser can have on the structural integrity of the material.

The best marking technique depends on the finish of the  copper. Smooth surfaces can offer a soft polished marking effect, but they can also be annealed, etched, or engraved using a fiber laser.  Granular surface finishes offer little opportunity for polish. In some cases a dark anneal can work, but surface irregularities can cause reduced readability.

Copper is a material which is very difficult to mark, but using a multi waveform process can be marked with a selected few colours with very high contrast. The challenge with processing copper is the materials high reflectivity, therefore high peak power from the copper laser marking machine is required to ensure enough radiation is absorbed to process the material.