Abstract:
A system that supplies permanent and human and machine readable evidence that a approved printer was used to print the indicia affixed to a mail piece. The system will first capture the postal customer&#39;s or mailers printer type and configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination and then use the foregoing information to enable printing of the Information-Based Indicia, if the active printer going to print the indicia is found on a stored (local or remote) “Information-Based Indicia Approved Printer&#39;s List”. Then the system will add this same printer information to the USPS defined Information-Based Indicia print field format so as to provide evidence that an approved printer was used. The foregoing printer information may be printed in a coded form on the Information-Based Indicia to automate the sortation of indicium that can not be read.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to the field of franking machines and more particularly to the printing of specific type of indicia. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Historically postage meters have been mechanical and electromechanical devices that: maintain through mechanical or “electronic registers” (postal security devices) an account of all postage printed and the remaining balance of prepaid postage; and print postage postmarks (indicia) that are accepted by the postal service as evidence of the prepayment of postage. 
     Soon small business mailers may be able to use their desktop computer and printer to apply postage directly onto envelopes or labels while applying a address. The United States Postal Service Engineering Center recently published a notice of proposed specification that may accomplish the foregoing. The title of the specification is Information Based Indicia Program Postal Security Device Specification, dated Jun. 13, 1996. The Information Based Indicia Program specification includes both proposed specifications for the new indicium and proposed specifications for a postal security device (PSD). The proposed Information-Based Indicia (IBI) consists of a two dimensional bar code containing hundreds of bytes of information about the mail piece and certain human-readable information. The indicium includes a digital signature to preclude the forgery of indicia by unauthorized parties. The postal security device is a unique security device that provides a cryptographic digital signature to the indicum and performs the function of postage meter registers. 
     There are approximately one and a half million postage meters in use in the United States accounting for about twenty billion dollars of postage revenue annually. The United States Postal Service (USPS) is authorized to regulate the manufacture and use of postage meters. For the past several years the United States Postal Service has been actively proposing a solution to the problem of inadequate postage meter security. The United States Postal Service is also trying to solve the problem that currently available postal meter indicia are susceptible to counterfeiting. The United States Postal Service plans to solve the above problems by decertifying mechanical meters and implementing the Information-Based Indicia Program (IBIP). 
     The IBIP is a United States Postal Service initiative supporting the development and implementation of a new form of postal indicia. The IBIP specification is intended to address the counterfeiting threat. An IBIP indicium substitutes for a postage stamp or as a postage meter. imprint as evidence of the fact that postage has been paid on mail pieces. The postal security device (PSD) is expected to be a hardware component for use with either a computer based or postage meter based host system. Each PSD will be a unique security device. The PSD core security functions are cryptographic digital signature generation and verification and secure management of the registers that track the remaining amount of money available indicium creation i.e., descending register and the total postage value used by the PSD i.e., ascending register. The PSD will be a tamper-resistant device that may contain an internal random number generator, various storage registers, a date/time clock and other circuits necessary to perform the foregoing functions. The PSD will comply with Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-1 published by the United States Department Of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, and will be validated through the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Computer Systems Laboratory&#39;s Cryptographic Module Validation Program. 
     The Information-Based Indicia technology of the United States Postal Service offers the postal customer a way to pay for postage without stamps. Envelopes are franked using the postal customer&#39;s personal computer, a personal computer compatible add on and the customer&#39;s printer. The PSD provides postal value storage and the link to the USPS and the manufacturer of the personal computer compatible add on. 
     Recent studies have shown that the code format tolerances promulgated in the IBIP specification can only be met by some of the available printers. Both resolution (dots/inch) and positional accuracy seem to be the major limiting factors. Furthermore, the printing technology used is yet another major factor, specifically when combined with the type of paper used to form the envelope. Current estimates suggest that 2-3% of the IBIP indicium that are affixed to mail pieces will not be able to be read due to the use of incorrect printers, defective printers or improper envelopes. It is estimated that another 1-2% of the IBIP indicium that are affixed to mail pieces will not be able to be read due to damage done to the coded message. 
     The USPS plans to bill mail that contains an Information-Based Indicia that can not be read by automated equipment to the Information-Based module provider unless the provider can show that the inability to read the indicia was caused by mailer or was a Post Office error. It is estimated that it will cost approximately $15.00 to manually process and return each mail piece that contains an Information-Based Indicia that can not be read. The entire USPS IBIP program may fail because of the cost to manually process and return each mail piece that contains an indicium that can not be read. Thus, a problem with the prior art is that the cost to implement the processing and returning of indicium that can not be read could remove the benefit to the USPS and the Information-Based Indicia module provider. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a system that will supply permanent and human and machine readable evidence that a approved printer or unapproved printer was used to print the indicia in question. The system will first capture the postal customer&#39;s or mailers printer type and configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination and then use the foregoing information to enable printing of the Information-Based Indicia if the active printer going to print the indicia is found on a stored (local or remote) “Information-Based Indicia Approved Printer&#39;s List”. Then the system will add this same printer information to the USPS defined Information-Based Indicia print field format so as to provide evidence that an approved printer or unapproved printer or proper supplies were used. The foregoing printer information may be printed in a coded form on the Information-Based Indicia to automate the sortation of indicium that can not be read. Thus, this invention will improve the processing of Information-Based Indicia mail by reducing and eventually virtually eliminating the use of printers, printer settings, paper envelopes, inks and toners that can not be read by Information-Based Indicia scanners. Hence, this invention will improve the processing of mail. 
     The foregoing is accomplished by collecting information about the indicia printer, the indicia printer settings, the paper on which the indicia is going to be printed and the ink or toner that is going to be used to print the indicia, using the program contained in the user computer. Then the program contained in the user computer decides if the printer, paper, ink, or toner combination is approved by the USPS to allow printing. At this point the program contained in the user computer notifies the user of the status of the selected printer, paper and ink, or toner. Now, the program contained in the Postal Security Device computer adds the coded representation of the selected printer, paper and ink or toner to the indicia to automate the post processing of mail pieces that have indicia that can not be read. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a drawing of a prior art mail piece containing a Information Based Indicia; 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing of a Information-Based Indicia containing a code that represents the printer, printer settings, ink, or toner and paper in which the indicia was printed; 
     FIG. 3 is a block drawing of the system used to print information about the printer, printer settings, ink, or toner and paper in which the indicia was printed and the system used to read the above information; 
     FIG. 4 is a drawing of a flow chart of the print quality manager program contained in user computer  30 ; 
     FIG. 5 is a drawing of a flow chart of the program that controls PSD  36  of FIG. 3, which is loaded into computer  30 ; 
     FIG. 6 is a drawing of a flow chart of the interaction of the print quality manager program of FIG. 4 with the program of FIG. 5 that controls PSD  36 ; 
     FIG. 7 is a drawing of a flow chart of the real time video image processor  300  and  400  process “no-read IBI indicia images so as to extract the print characteristics and to extract the “damage” image if there is one; 
     FIG. 8 is a drawing of a flow chart that shows how the print quality processor would update the printer, settings and supplies database; and 
     FIG. 9 is a drawing of a flow chart that shows how new “Damage Templates” are created and then added to the print quality data base. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to FIG. 1, the reference character  11  represents a USPS Information-Based Indicia that was printed on mail piece  12  by a printer. The postal indicia  11  contains a dollar amount  13 , the date  14  that the postal indicia was affixed to the mail piece, the place the mail piece was mailed from  15 , the postal meter serial number  16 , a FIM code  17  and a 2D encrypted bar code  18 . Mail piece  12  also contains an indication  19  of the class of mail piece  12 . Mail piece  12  is going to be sent to the person and place indicated in address field  20 . 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing of a Information-Based Indicia containing a code that represents the printer, printer settings, ink, or toner and paper in which the indicia was printed. The postal indicia  20  contains a dollar amount  13 , the date  14  that the postal indicia was affixed to the mail piece, the place the mail piece was mailed from  15 , the postal meter serial number  16 , a FIM code  17  and a 2D encrypted bar code  18 . Mail piece  12  is going to be sent to the person and place indicated in address field  20 . 
     Postal indicia  21  has a human readable or machine readable code  22  that represents the postal customer&#39;s or mailers printer type and configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination. Code  22  may be of the form A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P and Q. Where, the positions held by letters A and B may be used to represent the manufacturer of the printer that printed indicia  21  and the positions held by letters C, D, and E may be used to represent the model of the printer that printed indicia  21 . The position held by letter E may be used to represent the print density of the printer that printed indicia  21  and the position held by letter F may be used to represent the print dither type of the printer that printed indicia  21 . The position held by letters G and H may be used to represent the envelope size of the envelope in which indicia  21  was affixed and the position held by letters I and J may be used to represent the paper type in which indicia  21  to was affixed. The position held by letters K, L and M may be used to represent the type of ink that was used to print indicia  21  and the position held by letters N, O and P may be used to represent the toner type in which indicia  21  was affixed. Letter Q may be used as a control or for error correction. 
     It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that code  22  may have additional positions in order to represent additional information about the printer that printed indicia  21 . It will also be obvious to one skilled in the art that code  22  may be printed in decimal, base  32 , numerical, alphanumerical, bar code or other form. 
     FIG. 3 is a block drawing of the system used to print information about the printer, printer settings, ink, or toner and paper in which the indicia was printed and the system used to read the above information. Postal security device (PSD)  36  is coupled to user computer  30  and computer  30  is coupled to modem  28 . Computer  30  is also coupled to user printer  32 . Printer  32  s capable of printing an envelope  12  with an indicia  21  (shown in the description of FIG. 2) affixed thereto. Modem  28 , computer  30 , PSD  36 , user printer  32  and envelope  12  may be found in the office of postal customer  50 . Postal customer  50  will deposit envelope  12  in the mail. Envelope  12  will be read by USPS Information-Based Indicia code reader and sorter  37 . If, Information-Based Indicia  21  can not be read by reader  37  then, envelope  12  will be read by postal quality reader  33 . Reader  33  is coupled to modem  45  and modem  45  is coupled to modem  48 . Modem  48  is coupled to Information-Based Indicia print quality computer  25 . Modem  48  is also coupled to Remote Video processing  400 . Computer  25  is coupled to modem  26 . Modem  48 , computer  25  and modem  26  may be found at the site of quality inspector  49 . Sorter  37 , reader  33 , security station  65 , printer  66 , modem  45  and envelope  12  may be found at USPS site  51 . Modem  26  is coupled to PSD manufacture modem  41  via communications path  42  and modem  26  is coupled to postal user modem  28  via communications path  40 . Modem  41  is coupled to PSD manufacturer&#39;s computer  35 . Modem  41  and computer  35  are at PSD manufacturer site  52 . Modem  41  is coupled to modem  28  via communications path  29 . 
     Information-Based Indicia print quality computer  25  stores in its memory information about the printers, printer settings, inks or toners and papers that have been approved by the USPS for the printing of indicia  21 . Computer  25  transmits the aforementioned information to modem  26 . Modem  26  transmits the above information to postal security device (PSD) manufacturer  35 . A specification for a PSD is set forth in the USPS Information Based Indicia Program Postal Security Device Specification, dated Jun. 13, 1996, herein incorporated by reference. Computer  30  may receive information about the printers, printer settings, inks or toners and papers that have been approved by the USPS for the printing of indicia  21  from the manufacturer of postal security device  36 . The aforementioned information may be sent to computer  30  by PSD computer  35  via modem  41  and  28  or by IBI computer  25  via modem  26  and  28 . The above information may also be contained in a diskette or other memory storage device and then entered into the memory of computer  30 . 
     The operator of computer  30  will use the program described in the description of FIG. 4 to enter the printer, printer type, configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination that is going to be used to print indicia  21 . Computer  30  will inform the operator of computer  30 , whether or not the printer type, configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination selected to print indicia  21  has been approved by the USPS. Then, the operator of computer  30  will have the option to determine whether or not indicia  21  should or should not be printed. If, the operator of computer  30  determines that indicia  21  should be printed, the foregoing information will be used to print indicia  21 . Computer  30  will transmit the foregoing information to printer  32 . Printer  32  will then print indicia  21  on envelope  12 . Indicia  21  will contain a code  22 , described in the description of FIG. 2, that contains information regarding the printer type, configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination selected to print indicia  21 . At some later time envelope  12  will be mailed. 
     USPS Information-Based Indicia reader  37  at USPS site  51  will read indicia  21 . If, code reader  37  is able to read indicia  21  on envelope  12 , then envelope  12  will precede along path A and the USPS will deliver envelope  12  to the addressee. If, reader  37  is unable to read indicia  21 , then and in that event envelope  12  will precede along path B and be scanned by reader  33 . Reader  33  will read code  22 . Code  22  provides evidence of the printer, printer type, configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination that was used to print indicia  21 . If, code  22  indicates that an improper printer, printer type, configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination was used and envelope  12  was not damaged or printed correctly, envelope  12  may be returned to the mailer of envelope  12 . The mailer of envelope  12  may be required to pay a fine to the USPS. The USPS may elect to notify the mailer of envelope  12 , that indicia  21  is incorrect. This notification may be by ordinary mail or by transmitting the notification to computer  30  via Information-Based Indicia print quality computer  26 , modem  26  and modem  28 . The operator of computer  30  may inform the USPS to deliver envelope  12  and charge any fees to the owner of computer  30 . The notification from computer  30  will be transmitted to computer  25  via modem  28 , communications path  40  and modem  26 . If, code  22  indicates that a proper printer, printer type, configuration setting information, paper, ink, or toner combination was used and envelope  12  was not damaged and indicia  21  was properly printed, envelope  12  will be returned to PSD manufacturer site  52 . The manufacturer of the equipment used to print indicia  21  may be required to explain the reason for the inability to read indicia  21  or be required to pay a fine to the USPS. The notification to PSD manufacturer site  52  may be via modem  26 , communications path  42  and modem  41 . 
     In the event code  22  on envelope  12  can not be read by reader  33  a scan of envelope  12  will be transmitted to computer  25  via modem  45  and modem  48 . Computer  25  and an operator at USPS Security Station  65  will determine whether or not code  22  was damaged or not correctly printed and whether or not envelope  12  may be delivered by the USPS. The foregoing process can be enabled by having printer  66  at Station  65  print information derived from information contained in computer  25 . 
     FIG. 4 is a drawing of a flow chart of the print quality manager program contained in user computer  30 . The user turns computer  30  on and in block  100  the operating system of computer  30  loads the print quality manager program into the memory of computer  30 . Then the program goes to block  101  where computer  30  determines whether or not a compatible envelope program is installed in the memory of computer  30 . A compatible envelope program may be the Dazzle Envelope Manager Software program manufactured by Dazzle of 247 High Street, Palo Alto, Calif. 94301-1041. If, a compatible envelope program is not installed in the memory of computer  30 , the program would proceed to block  102  and end. If, a compatible envelope program was installed in the memory of computer  30  the program would advance to block  103  and the program would read its operating system initiating files and determine what is the identification of active user printer  32  (FIG.  3 ). Then the program would precede to decision block  104  and determine whether or not printer  32  is listed in the data base as a IBI approved printer. If, the answer to the aforementioned question is no, the program would go to decision block  105 . 
     In decision block  105  the program would determine whether or not active printer  32  is listed in the data base as a printer that is not an IBI approved printer. If, it was determine that printer  32  was listed as a printer that was not IBI approved, then the program would go to block  106  and set a warning message that printer  32  is not an IBI approved printer. Then the program would store the above warning message in print quality status message buffer  108 . If, decision block  105  determined that the answer was no, the program would advance to block  107 . Block  107  would compose a warning message indicating that it does not know if printer  32  is an IBI approved printer. The aforementioned warning message composed in block  107  will be stored in block  108  status message buffer. At this point the program would proceed to block  109 . Block  109  would be a buffer that would request an update on the status of printer  32 . If, decision block  104  had a positive answer, this fact would be stored in print quality status message buffer  108 . 
     At this point the program would advance to block  110  where the program would read the operating systems initiating files to determine what is the current dither setting, graphic setting, resolution enhancement technology setting (if valid), paper identification, toner identification and/or ink identification of printer  32 . Then the program would go to block  112  and look up each print parameter read in block  111  in the print quality data base. The program would also determine in block  112  whether the current settings of printer  32  are within the IBI approved ranges, out of the current IBI ranges or not found. Now, the program would go to decision block  114 , where the program would sort and transfer the information received from block  111  to the proper buffers. If, the information was not found, this fact would be stored in block  109  request update buffer. If, the settings were outside the IBI approved ranges the program would go to block  108  print quality message status buffer where this fact would be stored. If, the settings were within the IBI approved ranges the program would go to decision block  120 . Decision block  120  would determine whether or not a compatible envelope program is being loaded. If, a compatible envelope program is not being loaded the program would go back to the input of block  120  and wait until a compatible envelope program is loaded. If, a compatible envelope program is being loaded, then the program would advance to block  124  to determine whether or not the user of computer  30  selected the print command. If, block  124  determines that the print command was not selected the program would go to decision block  125 . Decision block  125  would determine whether or not the envelope program is going to be terminated by the user of computer  30 . If, the envelope program is not going to be terminated then the program will go back to block  124 . If, the envelope program is going to be terminated then the program will go to block  102  and the program will end. If, block  124  determines that the print command was selected the program would go to block  126  to read the contents of buffer  108  and buffer  109 . Block  126  would use the aforementioned information that was read and compose a warning message that will appear on the display of computer  30 . 
     At this juncture the program would advance to decision block  128  where the program would wait for the users response to the warnings. If, decision block  128  determines that the user of computer  30  wants to follow the warning message and/or messages the program would advance to block  129  where a request to update the print quality manger program may be made via modem  28  (FIG. 3) or diskette (not shown). If, decision block  128  determines that the user of computer  30  does not want to follow the warning message and/or messages the program would advance to block  130  where the program would read the information contained in buffer  108  and buffer  109  and format a print quality message. Then the program will go to block  131  where the aforementioned print quality message will be sent to the data input of PSD  36  (FIG.  3 ). Now the program will go to block  132  where PSD will acknowledge receipt of the aforementioned message. Then the program will go to block  133  where the program will save a date stamped record of the print quality message status in the print quality archives file. At this point the program would precede to block  134  and then go back to block  124 . 
     FIG. 5 is a drawing of a flow chart of the program that controls PSD  32  of FIG. 3, which is loaded into computer  30 . The program begins in decision block  200 , where the program determines whether or not the user of computer  30  (FIG. 3) wants to compose the next IBI indicia. If, block  200  determines that the user does not want to compose the next IBI indicia, then the program goes to block  201  where the program ends. If, block  200  determines that the user wants to compose the next IBI indicia, then the program goes to block  202  where the program composes an IBI indicia image. Then the program goes to block  203 , where the program reads the information transmitted to the input of the data port of PSD  36  (FIG.  3 ). The information transmitted to the input of the data port of PSD  36  will be more fully described in the description of FIG.  6 . Now the program goes to block  204  where the information read from the input of the data port of PSD  36  is added to the IBI indicia graphic image composed in block  202 . Then the program goes to block  205  where the program sends an acknowledgment to the print quality manager program, described in the description of FIG. 4, that it added the aforementioned graphic image. Then the program goes to block  206  where the program informs computer  330  to request printer  32  to print an IBI indicia  21  containing a code  22 . At this point the program goes back to decision block  200 . 
     FIG. 6 is a drawing of a flow chart of the interaction of the print quality manager program of FIG. 4 with the program of FIG. 5 that controls PSD  36 . The print quality warning message and/or messages formatted in block  126  i.e. code  22  will be sent to block  131 . Block  131  will then send code  22 , i.e. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, and Q to the data port of PSD  36 . Block  203  will receive code  22  from the data port of PSD  36  and block  205  will acknowledge receipt of code  22  to the data port of PSD  36 . 
     FIG. 7 is a drawing of a flow chart that shows how the real time video image processor  300  and  400  processes “no read” IBI indicia images so as to extract the print characteristics and to extract the “damage” image if there is one. The program begins at start and proceeds to decision block  301  next United States Postal service IBI video image. If, block  301  determines that there is no video image then the program proceeds to block  303  and the process is ended. If, block  301  determines that there is a video image then the program goes to block  302  segment image and isolate print quality manager data field. Then the program goes to block  320  to route a copy of the damaged image to the damaged template creation process. Then the program goes to block  450  damaged template database creation process. At this point, the program also goes to block  304  optical character recognition process all record print quality data field characters and checksum. Then the program proceeds to decision block  305  to determine whether or not the read accuracy was 100%. If, the read accuracy was less than 100% then the program proceeds to block  401  operator assisted remote video visual edit and correction process of the print quality manager text data line. Then the program proceeds to decision block  402  to determine whether or not it has 100% read accuracy. If block  402  determines that there was not 100% read accuracy then the program proceeds to block  403  to add the record to return the optical character recognition no read report for the United States Postal Service. If, block  402  determines that 100% read accuracy did exist then the program proceeds to block  306  to look up in the master print quality database. If, block  305  determined that the read accuracy was also 100% the program would also proceed to block  306  to look up in the master print quality database. Now the program would proceed to block  307  IBI print quality database to look up the relevant information. This information would be passed back to block  306  then the program would proceed to decision block  308  to determine whether or not a match was found in the print quality database. If, no match was found then the program would proceed to block  312  to add the record to the non approved printing usage report. If, a match was found in block  308  then the program would proceed to decision block  309  to determine whether or not all print parameters were found. If, all of the print parameters were not found then the program would proceed to block  311  to add the record to partially approved printing usage report. If, the program found all of the print parameters then the program would proceed to block  310  to add the record to the 100% approved printing usage report. After a decision was made in block  309  the program would proceed back to start. 
     FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a drawing that describes how the print quality database  307  would update the printer, settings and supplies database. The program would begin in decision block  315  next data record. Decision block  315  may contain records from the United States Postal Service that indicate successful IBI code reads and print quality manager data records. Block  315  may also contain data that indicates the manufacturers submission of testing results data and independent testing agencies data. If, no next data record is available in block  315  then the program would proceed to block  316  and the process would end. If, the next data record was found then the program would proceed to block  317  and reformat the record as needed. At this point the program would proceed to block  318  to look up in the current print quality parameter database. Then the program would proceed to decision block  319  to determine whether or not the requested information was found. If the requested information was not found then the program would proceed to block  320  to update the print quality database. Then the program would proceed to block  315  and wait for the next data record. If, block  319  determined that the record was found then the program would proceed back to decision block  315  and wait for the next data record. 
     FIG. 9 is a drawing of a flow chart that shows how new “damage templates” are created and then added to the print quality database. The program would begin from the output of block  350  that was shown in FIG. 7 route a copy of damaged image to damaged template creation process. Then the program would proceed to block  451  image buffer to route the image to operator. The program would precede to decision block  452  to determine whether or not a record is in image buffer  451 . If, there is nothing in buffer  451  the program would go to  453  butch transfer, new templates, If, there is something in buffer  451  the program would go to decision block  461  to determine whether or not the damage is from a mailer process. If, the damage was from a mailer process then the program would proceed to block  454  buffer new template images. If, decision block  461  had a negative answer from the operator then the program would proceed to decision block  462  to determine whether or not this damage is from a postal process. If, the damage was from a postal process then the program would proceed to block  454  buffer new template images. Then the program would proceed to block  463 . If, block  463  determined that the damage was not suspicious the program would proceed to decision block  452 . If the damage was suspicious then the program would proceed to block  313  to add the record to the United States Postal Service suspicious damage report. If, decision block  463  determined that the image was not suspicious then the program would proceed to block  451  for the image buffer to route the image to an operator. Indicia print quality database  307  contains block  330  printing standards data, block  310  which lists additional record to 100% approved printed usage report, block  311  which adds the record to a partially approved printing usage report, block  312  which adds a record to the non approved printing usage report and block  313  which adds the record to the United States Postal Service suspicious damage report. 
     The above specification describes a new and improved system for printing information in a indicia or in the vicinity of the indicia that indicates the printer, printer settings, ink, or toner and paper in which the indicia was printed. It is realized that the above description may indicate to those skilled in the art additional ways in which the principles of this invention may be used without departing from the spirit. It is, therefore, intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.