Unfortunately we live in times where thieves and criminals are abundant. Although we can all do our best to ensure that no one is able to steal our property, by keeping it out of sight – ultimately, if our property is taken, we can assist the police in recovering it by making sure it is clearly marked.

Before getting into techniques for marking items, it is important to ensure that we can recognize our property when we see it. After all, its difficult to differentiate one laptop from another of the same make and model.

When purchasing a valuable item that you would not want to lose, one should be cautious and take a brief minute to write down the items make and model. Not only will this list serve useful in identifying any items that are returned after their theft or loss, but it will also be helpful in the event that the items are not returned and an insurance claim needs to be made.

Once a clear list of owned items is developed, you should mark them with personally identifying information. There are a number of different ways to etch items. An electric etching pencil such as a Draper multi tool can be used to scratch an identifying mark into the item. You could also try chemical etching method. In fact, the Home Office in the UK has even made stencils for recommended designs for chemical etching. Finally, one can also use a self adhesive label or tag in order to mark and identify property.

Whichever marking method you use, there is a fine balancing act to be executed. One the one hand, markings should not be executed in a way that harms the function or outward appearance of the item that is marked. On the other hand the markings must be large and clear enough to be read, while also being prominent enough that their removal or erasure would be immediately clear. This is one of the benefits to using good quality fixed labels as a marking method-scratching or sanding over these would be immediately noticeable and would likely damage the property they are affixed to.

When marking the item you should choose a consistent and unique mark. A good choice would be a contact phone number or email address. A postal address or just a postcode could be another option as well. In any case, the marking should be adequate to identify you or your business as the rightful owner.

Finally, there are some items which are not suitable for etching or marking, or for which better solutions exist. Users of laptop computers may, in conjunction with a security label, want to consider a product which can lock down a computer upon its theft, as well as inform of where it is being used. Owners of jewellery should look into having their jeweller laser etch a serial number into their diamonds.

Essentially its an owners diligence that can help to safeguard their property. However, by taking the simple steps of marking items of value as advised above, the owner can make it less attractive to the common thief and more likely to be returned. We feel that this is a very generous trade-off for expending just a little bit of time, expenditure and effort.

Author Bio: Marcus Stephens writes in the industry of marking items, for a company called Seareach. They offer barcode stickers that can help with increasing the protection of your laptop or electronic device. Also, their security labels provide an identification mark that can be read by lost and found departments or the police.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: laptops, computers, theft, security, advice