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285 points pavel_lishin | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.218s | source
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banku_brougham ◴[] No.43551826[source]
Do black and white laser printers produce tracking dots?

Also, what is the meaning of this tracking, must every corner of our lives be tracked just on principle?

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doctoboggan ◴[] No.43551864[source]
It's my understanding that the secret service requested (required?) that the printer manufacturers start adding the dots once the printers got good enough to easily recreate paper bills. Because they are primarily a tool for tracking counterfeiters, they are not needed with black a white printers and thus are not included.
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1. theGeatZhopa ◴[] No.43553249[source]
mostly, the software in printers/scanners and Adobe's Photoshop alikes is looking out for the "EURion" pattern.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation

That is not to be confused with (dynamical) and non-visible tracking info on printed sheets, which in fact can have everything coded in. By that, even 1-bit printouts can be identified up to the source. If the printer model and #salt is printed alongside, the prosecution has evidence for the cases the printer involved.