A scanning system comprising: an optical reader comprising an imager (312-a) having an imaging axis; an illumination module configured to provide an illumination; a beam splitter module configured to project the illumination as an in-line illumination with respect to an imaging axis of the imager of the optical reader, wherein the beam splitter module projects the in-line illumination in a first direction to a target including DPM indicia; and a telecentric lens assembly configured to: direct the in-line illumination incident on a first surface of the telecentric lens assembly as collimated light in the first direction to the target parallel to an optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly, the collimated light forming an optical path between the telecentric lens assembly and the target; direct a first portion of light reflected from the target, the first portion being light reflected from the target that is incident on a second surface of the telecentric lens assembly at a defined angle with respect to the optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly, to the outside of the optical path formed by the collimated light; and direct, a second portion of the reflected light from the target, the second portion being light reflected from the target that travels parallel to the optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly and is incident at the second surface at the telecentric lens assembly, to the imager (312-a), wherein the second portion of the reflected light is received at the imager in order to capture an image of the target; wherein the image captured by the imager (312-a) is a reverse contrast image and is used by the optical reader to decode the DPM indicia. an optical reader comprising an imager (312-a) having an imaging axis; an illumination module configured to provide an illumination; a beam splitter module configured to project the illumination as an in-line illumination with respect to an imaging axis of the imager of the optical reader, wherein the beam splitter module projects the in-line illumination in a first direction to a target including DPM indicia; and a telecentric lens assembly configured to: direct the in-line illumination incident on a first surface of the telecentric lens assembly as collimated light in the first direction to the target parallel to an optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly, the collimated light forming an optical path between the telecentric lens assembly and the target; direct a first portion of light reflected from the target, the first portion being light reflected from the target that is incident on a second surface of the telecentric lens assembly at a defined angle with respect to the optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly, to the outside of the optical path formed by the collimated light; and direct, a second portion of the reflected light from the target, the second portion being light reflected from the target that travels parallel to the optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly and is incident at the second surface at the telecentric lens assembly, to the imager (312-a), wherein the second portion of the reflected light is received at the imager in order to capture an image of the target; direct the in-line illumination incident on a first surface of the telecentric lens assembly as collimated light in the first direction to the target parallel to an optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly, the collimated light forming an optical path between the telecentric lens assembly and the target; direct a first portion of light reflected from the target, the first portion being light reflected from the target that is incident on a second surface of the telecentric lens assembly at a defined angle with respect to the optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly, to the outside of the optical path formed by the collimated light; and direct, a second portion of the reflected light from the target, the second portion being light reflected from the target that travels parallel to the optical axis of the telecentric lens assembly and is incident at the second surface at the telecentric lens assembly, to the imager (312-a), wherein the second portion of the reflected light is received at the imager in order to capture an image of the target; wherein the image captured by the imager (312-a) is a reverse contrast image and is used by the optical reader to decode the DPM indicia.