As Machine identification code (MIC) - also color printer marking, yellow dots (yellow points) or secret dots (secret points) - a digital water-mark is designated, which of certain color laser printers and - copiers on each printed side one attaches.

The code is to make possible an identification of the equipment, with which a certain document was produced, and thus referring to the manufacturer of the document to give.

The marking consists of a point grid, which is distributed over the whole pressure field. The points are yellow, have a diameter of a tenth millimeter and a distance from approximately a millimeter. They are with the naked eye not to be recognized. Their arrangement codes information about manufacturers and serial number of the equipment, as well as date and time of printing. If the code consists for example of 8 x 16 points in a square or hexagonal arrangement, it occupies a surface by approximately four square centimeters. On a Din-A4 sheet it appears approx. 150 times. So he can be selected also if large ranges are overprinted with the expenditure.

Xerox is one of the few manufacturers, that refer to the marking of the sides: "The digital colour print system is equipped according to the demands of numerous governments with a falsification safe marking and note recognition system. Each copy is provided with a marking, which makes if necessary the identification possible of the pressure system, with which it was provided. This code is not visible under normal conditions. "

Related links

• Laudatio of the German BigBrotherAwards 2004 (1. public reference)
• Information of the chaos computer club
• Information of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (English)
• List of printers, (none) the points print (English)
• Message with heise on-line: Civil rights activists decode point markings on color laser expressions

Articles in category "Machine identification code"

We found here 6 articles.