Fuji Xerox Co. has developed MISTCODE (Micro-dot Iterated and Superimposed Tag CODE), an inconspicuous code that can be used to add information to printed documents, the company said Oct. 24.
MISTCODE is inconspicuous, just like an electronic watermark, and can embed additional information. Fuji Xerox said unlike two-dimensional codes that are widely used to embed information, users do not need to change the appearance or layout of existing documents and forms, thereby retaining the original document's print quality.
MISTCODE consists of minute dots positioned according to certain rules. The pattern of the dots is repeated across the document, enabling the information used to identify the document to be retrieved even when some part of the document is missing. For example, related information, such as when and in which meeting the document was used, can be embedded as a MISTCODE to prevent unauthorized usage of the document and information leakages.