Example implementations relate to multiple payload pantograph. Some examples may include a first pattern generation engine to generate a first pattern. The first pattern may be a data-bearing pattern encoding a first payload. Additionally, some examples may include a second pattern generation engine to generate a second pattern, the second pattern (by itself or in combination with the first pattern) may represent a second payload. The second payload may be camouflaged by a combination of the first pattern and the second pattern. Some examples may also include a pantograph generation engine to generate a multiple payload pantograph including the first pattern and the second pattern. The multiple payload pantograph may include the first pattern in one of the pantograph background or the pantograph foreground.

2D machine readable symbologies are stylized and made aesthetically-appealing, facilitating their use to convey plural-symbol data on product packaging and other articles. In some arrangements, a symbology is mimicked as a collage of excerpts from a style image (e.g., a photograph or other artwork). To human viewers, the stylized symbology resembles the style image, rather than the 2D symbology. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A label issuing apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of product information regarding a product; a print control unit that generates print data defining that a barcode, in which at least one piece of the product information stored in the storage unit is encoded, and a digital watermark, in which at least one piece of the product information encoded as the barcode is embedded, are arranged on one product label and the barcode and the digital watermark are arranged at different positions on the one product label; and a label issuing unit that issues the product label on which the barcode and the digital watermark are displayed at different positions by printing information based on the print data on a label.

A watermark image may be generated that includes a first set of encoded pixels each of which is assigned a first transparency value and a second set of encoded pixels each of which is assigned a second transparency value, the second transparency level being different from the first transparency level. The encoded pixels may be distributed among a set of blank pixels such that each encoded pixel neighbors one or more blank pixels in the watermark image, and in particular at least two blank pixels in the watermark image. Herein, each blank pixel may be assigned the second transparency value. The watermark image may be overlaid and blended over a background source image to create an encoded source image. A decoder system may recover encoded information from the encoded source image.

A label issuing apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of product information regarding a product; a print control unit that generates print data defining that a barcode, in which at least one piece of the product information stored in the storage unit is encoded, and a digital watermark, in which at least one piece of the product information encoded as the barcode is embedded, are arranged on one product label and the barcode and the digital watermark are arranged at different positions on the one product label; and a label issuing unit that issues the product label on which the barcode and the digital watermark are displayed at different positions by printing information based on the print data on a label.

A watermark image may be generated that includes a first set of encoded pixels each of which is assigned a first transparency value and a second set of encoded pixels each of which is assigned a second transparency value, the second transparency level being different from the first transparency level. The encoded pixels may be distributed among a set of blank pixels such that each encoded pixel neighbors one or more blank pixels in the watermark image, and in particular at least two blank pixels in the watermark image. Herein, each blank pixel may be assigned the second transparency value. The watermark image may be overlaid and blended over a background source image to create an encoded source image. A decoder system may recover encoded information from the encoded source image.

A first pattern and the second pattern in an original include relatively lighter markings within a relatively darker background. The first pattern differs from the second pattern by including non-printing patches between the relatively lighter markings. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the underlying print media fluoresces in response to the ultraviolet light at the non-printing patches, revealing hidden security printing features. When a scanned image is printed on a second sheet of print media to produce a copy of the original, the copy maintains distinct markings at locations where the relatively lighter markings and the non-printing patches appear because the spacing interval of the relatively lighter markings and the non-printing patches is at or above the minimum resolution of the scanner. Thus, when the original and the copy are exposed to ultraviolet light, both fluoresce the ultraviolet light where the non-printing patches appear in the original.

Certainty of detecting watermarks embedded in a color image is increased. Image date acquisition means of an image processing device acquires image data on a color image having a plurality of color channels. Numerical value acquisition means acquires respective numerical values in the plurality of color channels contained in a pixel value of the color image based on the image data acquired by the image data acquisition means. Image processing means embed a watermark in each of the plurality of color channels by changing the numerical value acquired by the numerical value acquisition means.

A watermark image may be generated that includes a first set of encoded pixels each of which is assigned a first transparency value and a second set of encoded pixels each of which is assigned a second transparency value, the second transparency level being different from the first transparency level. The encoded pixels may be distributed among a set of blank pixels such that each encoded pixel neighbors one or more blank pixels in the watermark image, and in particular at least two blank pixels in the watermark image. Herein, each blank pixel may be assigned the second transparency value. The watermark image may be overlaid and blended over a background source image to create an encoded source image. A decoder system may recover encoded information from the encoded source image.

An image forming apparatus includes an embedding device and an image output device. The embedding device is configured to embed a pair of identical electronic information in a pair of electronic embedment areas outside a print guarantee area and within a printable area of a recording medium. The pair of electronic embedment areas is along a pair of opposite sides of the recording medium. The image output device is configured to print out an image with the pair of identical electronic information embedded on the recording medium.