Methods for producing a polyamide having an optical absorber pendent from the polyamide's backbone (OAMB-polyamide) may comprise: esterifying a hydroxyl-pendent optical absorber with a halogen-terminal aliphatic acid to yield a halogen-terminal alkyl-optical absorber; and N-alkylating a polyamide with the halogen-terminal alkyl-optical absorber to yield the OAMB-polyamide. Other methods for producing an OAMB-polyamide may comprise: esterifying a carboxyl-pendent optical absorber with a halogen-terminal aliphatic alcohol to yield a halogen-terminal alkyl-optical absorber; and N-alkylating a polyamide with the modified optical absorber to yield a polyamide having the OAMB-polyamide.