An example image forming apparatus includes a user interface device, an image forming job operator, a processor, and a memory. The processor executes instructions to display a preview screen of a document through the user interface device, perform an embedding process of embedding user-specific information into a plurality of user-specific information input areas included in the document, display state information of the plurality of user-specific information input areas on the preview screen in synchronization with progress of the embedding process, and, when the embedding process is completed, perform an image forming job with respect to the document in which the user-specific information is embedded, through the image forming job operator.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor that may access a window of pixels corresponding to print data. The print data may specify printing of a plurality of pixels based on an original document image and image-independent print data. The apparatus may identify a first pixel, from among the window of pixels, corresponding to the image-independent print data, determine a characteristic associated with the window of pixels, determine, based on the characteristic, that the image-independent print data is to specify printing of a second pixel from among the window of pixels. The apparatus may cause the image-independent print data to specify printing of the second pixel based on the determination that the image-independent print data is to specify printing of the second pixel.

A printing system includes a first printing unit that performs printing using a material that exhibits structural color, based on first data, a second printing unit that performs printing using a material that includes pigment, based on second data, and a control apparatus that outputs the first data and the second data; the first data causes the first printing unit to print the first personal information items of a first information group in respective regions, and an item of identification information linked to the first information group; and the second data causes the second printing unit to print the second personal information items of a second information group linked to the item of identification information on the corresponding respective regions on which the first personal information items corresponding to the respective second personal information items have been printed.

A method and system for hiding reversible data based on prediction errors are provided, where the method includes: partitioning an image, to obtain a shadow part and a blank part; performing a first-layer embedding process on the shadow part; performing a multi-layer embedding process on the blank part; extracting outermost layer information of the blank part after the multilayer embedding process; and extracting information of the shadow part after the first-layer embedding process. According to the method in the present disclosure, a problem of image distortion during high-capacity data embedding can be effectively solved.

An information processing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine a printing area and a non-printing area in image data, and an execution unit configured to execute first multiplexing processing by changing a U component in a YUV color space with respect to an area determined as a printing area in the image data and to execute second multiplexing processing by changing a Y component in a CMYK color space with respect to an area determined as a non-printing area in the image data.

A method for authenticating digital information includes obtaining, in digital form, information for authentication; preparing the information for processing, such preparation including converting the information into a digital image; identifying segments of content in the digital image; grouping the segments of content into one or more segment groups; generating a marking sequence comprising shifting at least one of the one or more segment groups in one or more directions; and applying the marking sequence to the digital image, creating a unique marked copy of the digital image.

The disclosure discloses methods and systems for securing confidential content of a document. The method includes receiving a print request to print the document. A user interface is provided to the user having a secure option, the secure option further includes a partial secure option to secure partial content of the document. Based on the selection of the partial secure option, a selection of a confidential area including the confidential content in the document is received. Based on the selection, one or more coordinates of the confidential area are calculated. Then, an infrared (IR) mark is embedded in the document. While embedding the IR mark, the one or more coordinates of the confidential area including the confidential content in the document is embedded. Finally, a printed document is output with the IR mark including the coordinates of the confidential area for later identification of the confidential content and/or use such as masking.

In an embodiment, a method of rendering an infrared mark, can involve providing an image path for an image processing apparatus, wherein the image path integrates infrared mark related functions with regular image processing functions of the image processing apparatus, and rendering the infrared red mark with the image processing apparatus, after subjecting the infrared mark to the infrared mark related functions in the image path of the image processing apparatus.

The present disclosure a method of providing identification code insertion service for tracking a duplicated image, which is performed by a server, including: (a) receiving an image from a user terminal; (b) converting the received image to black and white, and selecting a plurality of insertion regions in the converted image; (c) transforming an image of at least one of a plurality of insertion regions selected at random; and (d) mapping an identification code and image information included in the transformed image of the insertion region, storing the identification code and the image information in a database, and providing the image in which the identification code is inserted to the user terminal.

An image processing apparatus includes: an embed-data generating unit configured to generate embed-data, which is to be embedded in input-image-data, the input-image-data representing an image including a first color, the embed-data representing an image including a second color; an inverting unit configured to invert the image represented by the embed-data, in response to meeting a predetermined condition relating to the first color and the second color; and an output-image-data generating unit configured to embed, in the input-image-data, embed-data representing the image that is inverted by the inverting unit, in order to generate output-image-data in a case where the predetermined condition is met, and configured to embed, in the input-image-data, embed-data representing the image that is not inverted by the inverting unit, in order to generate output-image-data in a case where the predetermined condition is not met.