A technique is described by which a warped security feature is created on a substrate using a hybrid vector/bitmap process. The print element follows a series of curved vector lines during printing to form the security feature, instead of the straight line-by-line process used with a bitmap image. The method of producing the warped security feature, the warped security feature, and the substrate containing the warped security feature are considered to be unique and inventive.

The present invention provides a printer responsive to commands from printer driver software. The printer driver software is characterized by being responsive to two types of input data. One of the types includes text data, and the other of the types includes watermark data. The two types of data are separately applied to printer driver software, rather than integrated together prior to application to the printer driver software.

Sparse signal modulation schemes encode a data channel on a host image in a manner that is robust, flexible to achieve perceptual quality constraints, and provides improved data capacity. The host image is printed by any of a variety of means to apply the image, with sparse signal, to an object. After image capture of the object, a decoder processes the captured image to detect and extract data modulated into the sparse signal. The sparse signal may incorporate implicit or explicit synchronization components, which are either formed from the data signal or are complementary to it.

Computer implemented method for generating a hash value (110) is disclosed, the method comprises the following steps: i) Providing a first digital RGB image (112) having first RGB colors of a physical object (114); ii) Combining first transaction data (116) and the first digital RGB image (112), thereby generating a second RGB image (118) having second RGB colors; iii) Converting (128) color values of the second RGB image (118) from RGB color space (130) to a secondary color space (132) having at least four primary colors and determining (134) a number of respectively colored pixels for each primary color of the secondary color space (132); iv) Generating (136) the hash value (110) by converting the determined number of respectively colored pixels for each primary color of the secondary color space (132) to hexadecimal numerals.

Computer implemented method for generating a hash value (110) is disclosed, the method comprises the following steps: i) Providing a first digital RGB image (112) having first RGB colors of a physical object (114); ii) Combining first transaction data (116) and the first digital RGB image (112), thereby generating a second RGB image (118) having second RGB colors; iii) Converting (128) color values of the second RGB image (118) from RGB color space (130) to a secondary color space (132) having at least four primary colors and determining (134) a number of respectively colored pixels for each primary color of the secondary color space (132); iv) Generating (136) the hash value (110) by converting the determined number of respectively colored pixels for each primary color of the secondary color space (132) to hexadecimal numerals.