Abstract: A method for printing a security document on a substrate is disclosed. Firstly, a first reference image of a reference region of the substrate is generated, the image being indicative of an inherent characteristic of the substrate in the reference region. This is followed by generating encoded data indicative of the inherent characteristic of the substrate. Finally, the encoded data is printed over the reference region of the substrate, thus effecting the print of the security document.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method (700) of creating a security document (310), the method comprising the steps of encoding the document (310) with a first set (309) of protection marks containing information defining an absolute co-ordinate system (314) across the face of the document (310), and encoding the document (310) with a second set (302) of protection marks containing information that (i) identifies at least one region (605) of the document (310) according to the co-ordinate system (314) and (ii) defines at least one security attribute of the content within the defined region (605), wherein the first (309) and second (302) sets of protection marks are intermixed across the face of the document (310) and are used together to determine the location of the defined region (605) within the document.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method (600) of protecting a document (715) containing document information content, the method comprising the steps of defining a regular grid (716) over the document (715), separating the grid intersection points into a repeating pattern of points (701-704), wherein each member of the repeating pattern comprises two subsets of points (705, 709) having a predefined spatial relationship, said subsets of points being associated with corresponding regions of the document (715), and modulating (506), with respect to each member of the repeating pattern (701-704), protection mark attributes of protection marks associated with one of said subsets of points (709), to thereby encode information about the document information content of the regions of the document associated with both said subsets of points (705, 709).

Abstract: A method for printing a security document on a substrate is disclosed. Firstly, a first reference image of a reference region of the substrate is generated, the image being indicative of an inherent characteristic of the substrate in the reference region. This is followed by generating encoded data indicative of the inherent characteristic of the substrate. Finally, the encoded data is printed over the reference region of the substrate, thus effecting the print of the security document.

Abstract: A method of removing a barcode from the bitmap representation of a document is disclosed. The barcode comprises a plurality of data encoding symbols (102) and (104). The method starts with the step of scanning said document containing the barcode to form the bitmap representation of the at least a portion of the document. From said bitmap representation, the plurality of data encoding symbols (102) and (104), defining said barcode, are identified and the barcode is decoded at least partially. The locations of data encoding symbols (102) and (104) in the bitmap representation of said document are then identified, using data obtained during the at least partial decoding of said barcode. Finally, at least some of the data encoding symbols (102) and (104) are removed from said bitmap representation of said document.