Two reflections, one result.
For each wavelength, the two returning electric fields add together. Crests reinforce crests; crests oppose troughs. All three plots use the same scale and observation point.
Laser-grown oxide. Color from reflected light.
A scanning laser heats the areas that make up your design. The heated titanium reacts with oxygen in the air, growing a thin oxide layer directly from the metal. We control the laser settings to produce our repeatable finishes. The color comes from this layer, without paint, dye or printed ink.
White light contains many wavelengths—different colors. Light reflects from the oxide’s outer surface and from the titanium beneath it. The paths and reflections change how the waves line up: their phase relationship. At each wavelength, the waves strengthen or weaken each other. The resulting mix gives the finish its color.
Thin-film interference / Finish-guided model
Change the oxide. Change the color.
One progression: silver / white, gold, purple, light blue, then gray. Move the slider to explore it, or select a finish to jump to its reference setting. Short transitions and changing shades show the character of our finishes.
Thinner / silverThicker / gray
Explore continuously, or choose a finish above. The slider shows finish progression, not a measured oxide thickness.
0° / straight on65°
Measured from the normal. Silver and gold darken strongly at steep angles; light blue changes much less.
Violet / 400 nmRed / 700 nm
In white mode, this highlights one color while all the others stay in the light.
Illustrated phase
Mostly cancelling
Crests approach troughs. The fields oppose each other, reducing this wavelength in the reflected light.
470 nm / relative model strength
Reinforce / mute finds a stronger or weaker response for the selected wavelength.
Finish-guided illustration. Spectra and angle response are not measured product data.
Where the reflections travel
White light / several wavelengths overlapTitanium oxideTitanium base
Incoming white light keeps its full spectrum. Strong returning colors are bright; muted colors fade. Parallel lines separate colors for clarity. Layer depth is enlarged.
Reflected light / illustration
Light source
Gold
Aligned waves add. Opposing waves cancel.
Colored curves overlap. The 470 nm curve is highlighted.
1 / Surface reflection
2 / Returning film reflection
Combined reflected light
Bright / thick = strongerFaint / thin = weaker
Time: 0 → 10 femtosecondsElectric field / same scale in all three plots
The guide marks the same instant. Each wavelength adds to its own reflected counterpart. Different colors do not cancel each other. A smaller combined field means less reflected power; line brightness is exaggerated so strong and weak colors are easy to distinguish.
Which wavelengths come back?
Height = illustrative strengthLight slows inside the oxide.
The frequency stays the same, while the wavelength gets shorter. The highlighted light has a wavelength of about in an example oxide with refractive index 2.4.
Each finish has a range.
The preview changes shade within a finish, then moves quickly into the next one. A brief blend represents regions of both finishes during a transition, not another finish to order.
Finish references and model assumptions
The slider moves continuously through our finish-guided simulation. The five finish buttons jump to their reference positions, and the highlighted finish follows the slider. Reference hex codes and the finish order come from our LightBurn recipes. The illustration adds shade changes and angle sensitivity based on our observations: silver and gold are strongly angle-sensitive; light blue is much less affected. Purple and gray fall between them.
The slider positions, transition widths, spectral bands, and angle curves are illustrative. We have not measured the recipes' oxide thicknesses or spectral reflectance. These controls are not laser settings or a quantitative prediction of a finished part. Mixed-color transitions stand in for regions of the neighboring finishes; they do not add new orderable colors.
The waves demonstrate interference using a balanced two-reflection model. Their relative phase is constructed from the illustrated wavelength strength, so the field sum and its squared amplitude stay consistent with the spectrum. These phases are not derived from measured titanium optical constants. Actual surfaces have unequal reflections, texture, absorption, and repeated internal reflections. An ideal smooth film can repeat color orders; this finish-guided preview intentionally shows our single finish progression.
In a physical film, the propagation phase depends on 4π n d cos(θ inside the oxide) / λ, plus the phase changes at its interfaces. All wave plots compare the same point and time. Incoming and internal rays remain visible; outgoing line brightness emphasizes the combined result and is enhanced for clarity. Wavelength line colors use tabulated CIE 1931 data. The five finish hex codes are screen references; real reflective parts vary with the light and viewing angle.
Gold finish progression. 25 degrees from normal. 470 nm relative model strength 0.5 percent.
More about the process and durability
Laser settings and oxide growth.
The laser supplies heat.
A focused laser scans across the design. Its pulses heat small areas of the titanium surface; power, pulse repetition rate, scan speed, and line overlap control how much energy each area receives.
Titanium reacts with oxygen.
At the heated surface, titanium reacts with oxygen in the air. This grows an oxide layer from the metal itself. We call this laser anodization: laser-driven oxidation, without an anodizing bath.
The recipe sets the finish.
Different laser settings produce different oxide thicknesses and surface textures. We use a repeatable setting for each finish and scan the corresponding areas of your artwork with that recipe.
Hard at the surface. Strong at the core.
A hard oxide surface stands up to wear; a strong titanium base supports the piece. They do different jobs, together making a finish intended for lasting use.
A hard ceramic surface.
Titanium dioxide is a hard ceramic material. Its structure resists indentation and surface deformation, giving titanium oxide a very different character from a paint or polymer film.
Our laser grows the oxide from the titanium surface. The result is a hard, durable finish whose color comes from reflected light, with no dye, printed ink, or adhesive layer carrying the design.
Grade 5 strength underneath.
Grade 5 titanium is the Ti-6Al-4V alloy: titanium strengthened with aluminum and vanadium. It combines high strength, good fatigue performance, and low weight—the reasons it is used in demanding aerospace and engineering applications.
The metal supplies structural strength. Its stable protective oxide also provides strong corrosion resistance in many wet, salty, and chemically demanding environments.
- Hardness
- Resistance to indentation and surface deformation.
- Strength
- The stress a material can carry before yielding or breaking.
- Durability
- How the metal, finish, and design stand up to actual use over time.
Sources and application details
The explorer illustrates thin-film interference principles using our five finish references and observed angle behavior. Its balanced two-wave model explains reinforcement and cancellation; its thicknesses, spectral bands, and angle curves are illustrative. Wavelength line colors use CIE 1931 observer data. For quantitative calculations of ideal layered films, see Byrnes' optical calculations; those ideal-film calculations are distinct from this finish-guided preview.
The light and phase diagrams follow thin-film interference principles. The titanium explanation draws on laser-induced titanium color and interference research and research on surface structure and viewing angle. TIMET's corrosion guide explains titanium's protective oxide and chemical compatibility. Titanium oxide research explains the difference between oxide and metal hardness; Grade 5 material data describes the alloy's strength and fatigue properties. These are material references; we do not assign a measured hardness or abrasion rating to our finished products. For a specific industrial exposure, tell us the chemical, concentration, temperature, and use conditions.