I believe that the current state of laser marking/engraving is such that when we get keys made, the key-cutting machine itself should be able to laser-mark a couple of short lines of characters on the key to help you identify it.
I've recently locked myself out of my primary car and discovered that because I've owned so many cars in the past--most of one brand--I have a whole wad-of keys on my 'emergency' key ring that I don't know what they fit. I'm afraid to throw them away, because of it. But I didn't find the key to my current car.
I realize that it may be risky to write the type of car on the key, for instance, if you drop them in a parking lot, but if you didn't want to engrave '98 Caddy' on the key, you could write 'Dad's car' or 'car 512056' for a company car; or whatever.
This idea doesn't apply to car keys only. Because I have the extra house-keys from multiple houses on my key ring and I'm afraid to throw them away too.
Maybe most people won't need this, but I know that many businesses have a whole wall-of keys for the tractors, forklifts, trucks, etc.
I almost can't believe this doesn't exist, but I wasn't able to find one online.
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Why not just paint the keys to match the cars?
Though that system can work, it has lots of disadvantages.
I typically drive a blue car. My last two were blue, too, though not exactly the same shade. Our house and barn are the same color too. I have keys to grandma's house and barn, too. Pretty soon I have repeated colors. And what about padlocks?
It would require a bit more organization than I have time for when I've just purchased a car (or tractor, or house) to find and buy a matching paint, segregate the new keys, then spray them (or brush) and not have the key in my pocket for another day, waiting for them to dry.
Also, paint comes off fairly easily. Though I do know that engraving can wear through too.
I just think my idea is easier and more flexible.
Do you think you'll be able to read the little writing in the dark?
I don't think I can see paint in the dark, either. My idea is less for the keys in my pocket (which I can identify by shape, even in the dark) and more for the keys that I'm keeping in the house.
Although I think the idea of painting the key has great merit and if you could get the key-machine to match a paint-color (like an inkjet printer) and put that color on the key automatically, with a permanent, quick-dry (UV ink?)color, it would be excellent.
Perhaps cutting notches in the handle part that you could feel in the dark might work. A notch on the top edge would mean something. One on the bottom edge would be a secondary indication. Multiple notches could be identity symbols. Bumps brazed on would also work.
There should be a solution that works not just for keys we have copied, but for new keys too. Actually, there already is: Key tags, those metal-rimmed circles of cardboard on which one can write down the key's mate. But few people take the trouble--and they do add a bit of clutter to a keychain.
A key-etching kiosk might work. Something like it exists already in certain chain-pet-stores: a kiosk where the purchaser of a collar ID-tag for a pet types in the pet's name and his address & phone, so a finder of the pet can contact the owner. I think if hardware stores set up a kiosk like this for key owners and charged $1 a pop, it would be popular.
However the machine would have to be smarter than the ID-tag engraver, because of the varying dimensions of the keys it would be fed. It would have to analyze their shapes and sizes before cutting. But that might be posible now, with cheap lasers.