An article comprising: a substrate that includes a physical surface; an optical code embodied on the physical surface and comprising a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, a left edge coupling the top edge and the bottom edge, a right edge opposite the left edge and coupling the top edge and the bottom edge, and a plurality of optical elements, and a quiet zone surrounding the optical code to visually separate the optical code from another region of the physical surface, wherein a first subset of the optical elements forms a clocking pattern disposed along a top edge of the optical code, wherein a second subset of the optical elements forms a finder code, wherein the finder code includes a plurality of portions, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions is disposed along a respective corner of the optical code, wherein the portion of the finder code disposed along each respective corner of the optical code includes at least two optical elements, wherein a third subset of the optical elements forms a message, wherein a fourth subset of the optical elements forms error correction data, wherein a fifth subset of the optical elements forms repetition bits, wherein each optical element of the fifth subset of elements corresponds to a respective optical element of the subset of optical elements that forms the message or the error correction data, wherein each respective optical element of the third subset of optical elements and the fourth subset of optical elements represents an encoded bit in a set of encoded bits, wherein the encoded bits are differentiable based on visual differentiability of the respective optical elements, and wherein the third subset of optical elements forming the message and the fourth subset of optical elements forming the error correction data are spatially configured in a matrix such that the message is decodable from the substrate without optical elements positioned within at least one complete edge of the matrix that is visually occluded. a substrate that includes a physical surface; an optical code embodied on the physical surface and comprising a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, a left edge coupling the top edge and the bottom edge, a right edge opposite the left edge and coupling the top edge and the bottom edge, and a plurality of optical elements, and a quiet zone surrounding the optical code to visually separate the optical code from another region of the physical surface, wherein a first subset of the optical elements forms a clocking pattern disposed along a top edge of the optical code, wherein a second subset of the optical elements forms a finder code, wherein the finder code includes a plurality of portions, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions is disposed along a respective corner of the optical code, wherein the portion of the finder code disposed along each respective corner of the optical code includes at least two optical elements, wherein a third subset of the optical elements forms a message, wherein a fourth subset of the optical elements forms error correction data, wherein a fifth subset of the optical elements forms repetition bits, wherein each optical element of the fifth subset of elements corresponds to a respective optical element of the subset of optical elements that forms the message or the error correction data, wherein each respective optical element of the third subset of optical elements and the fourth subset of optical elements represents an encoded bit in a set of encoded bits, wherein the encoded bits are differentiable based on visual differentiability of the respective optical elements, and wherein the third subset of optical elements forming the message and the fourth subset of optical elements forming the error correction data are spatially configured in a matrix such that the message is decodable from the substrate without optical elements positioned within at least one complete edge of the matrix that is visually occluded.