Anodizing protects and beautifies aluminium — but it changes dimensions slightly. Plan for it.
Type II (decorative) is thinner and colourful; Type III (hardcoat) is thick, wear-resistant and usually grey/black. Choose by duty.
Anodize adds thickness to surfaces — roughly half grows outward. Mask threads and bores you need to stay to size.
Call out masking, specify the coating thickness, and avoid tight tolerances on features that will be coated.
It can — coat builds on the surface, so mask critical bores or size before coating.
Often black or clear; match your brand, but remember thick coatings read darker.