Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for increasing the usable detector angle of a laser beam containing encoded barcode information. Diffusing material capable of dispersing a beam, is placed between an illuminating source and a detector. The diffuser can be reflective or transmissive in nature, and is incorporated within the system to improve the readability of information encoded on a laser beam and reflected by specular material. In one embodiment the illuminating source directs a laser beam towards a specular barcoded material encoded with information. The laser beam is reflected by the specular material with generally little change in the beam angle, to the diffuser. The diffuser disperses the beam angle before directing it to the detector which is capable of reading and analyzing the information encoded on the beam. The increased angle improves the readability of the information contained in the laser beam and allows the use of a small source/large detector reader on specular barcoded material.