A pigment for laser-writable plastic materials in the form of particulate, light-sensitive compounds which under the influence of laser light change their color and/or lead to a color change in the plastic material is characterized in that the pigments include at least one salt-like compound including at least two different cations or a compound mixture which can be reacted to afford at least one such salt-like compound with at least two different cations, wherein at least one of the cations is selected from a group (A) of the elements Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Sn, Sb, La, Pr, Ta, W and Ce and at least one further cation is selected from a group (B) of the elements of the 3rd to 6th periods of the main groups II and III, the 5th to 6th periods of the main group IV and the 4th to 5th periods of the secondary group III to VIII and the lanthanides of the periodic system of elements. The invention also includes plastic materials containing the pigment or the compound mixture.