In order to optimize laser cladding using pulsed-laser procedures, in particular to prevent failures of the cladding, a systematic ex-situ characterization can provide a lot of valuable information about the effects of the process parameters on the resulting microstructure and hardness. In this study, a TiC/TiB2 cladded layer was produced by laser scanning over a pre-placed TiC/TiB2/Al powder mixture on an aluminum alloy using a Nd:YAG pulsed laser. The increasing of the EEDV (effective energy density per volume) influences larger scattering of the cladded-layer thickness, whereas the decreasing of the EEDV influences the decrease of its surface roughness. The average hardness of the 0.1-mm-thick layer was 400±10 HV 0.3, which confirmed an improvement in the mechanical properties of the surface. The microstructures were investigated using FE-SEM/EDS and light microscopy. An additional color chemical etching using Weck's reagent at room temperature was performed. Using color etching, the laser-affected features, i.e., the penetration depth, the melt pool, its boundaries and various inhomogeneities, could be clearly distinguished. The sensitivity of the color etchant to the morphological and compositional differences was confirmed by FE-SEM/EDS analyses and microhardness measurements.