A method for marking an identification at pre-selected intervals along a length of cable by laser marking means comprises the steps of sequentially moving longitudinally spaced-apart portions of the cable along a marking platen and positioning and operating the laser to mark the stationary cable portion while the other cable portion is being moved.
In a preferred embodiment of cable marking apparatus, each of a plurality of cables is routed across a marking platen, down through a downstream aperture, up through an upstream aperture to form a slack loop beneath the platen and back across the platen so that the longitudinally spaced-apart portions are located in parallel juxtaposed I relationship across the platen.