Patent ID: 7422244

Claim:
A self-authenticating identification document comprising: first printed matter rendered at a first location on said document and at a first scale enabling said first printed matter to be resolved by a viewing person without magnification, said first printed matter conveying identifying information; second printed matter comprising information that communicates the same identifying information as said first printed matter, the second printed matter rendered at a second microscale and at a second confidential location on said document and in a second color, said second microscale being significantly smaller than said first scale, said second confidential location being spaced from said first location and being selected and arranged to be a location that is not generally known, and said second color being selected to effect minimal contrast between said second printed matter in said second location and its immediate background; wherein the combination of said minimal contrast, said second confidential location, and said second microscale is constructed and arranged to substantially hide the existence and location of said second printed matter from the naked eye and prevent said second printed matter from being substantially detected or resolved unless a viewing party knows the second confidential location and views said second printed matter using a magnification lens; and wherein a comparison of the second printed matter to the first printed matter is capable of determining the authenticity of the identification document.