An interesting question was posted on another forum: "can you get (ceramic) SMD caps (1206,0805 etc) with the values printed on them?".
My first response was that I've very rarely seen this (like maybe once), and while it is possible (see
It got me to thinking, why is it so? My guess would be that it's due to the surface finish (or lack thereof) on ceramic capacitors, and/or the delicate nature of their multi-layer construction means they could be more easily damaged or properties altered by the process. As opposed to most SMD resistors that have a coating on them which would allow for easy and accurate printing using various technologies.
Any know the real reason(s) why ceramic SMD caps don't have markings?
Dave.