List of Printers Which Do or Do Not Display Tracking Dots

I wrote this article/originally created this list, and I would like to emphasize that there is a second generation of this technology that probably uses dithering parameters or something of that sort, and that does not produce visible dots but still creates a tracking code. We don't know the details but we do know that some companies told governments that they were going to do this, and that some newer printers from companies that the government agencies said were onboard…

These identification dots have been around at least 15 years. Working in a LEO in 1999, I was aware both laser and inkjet printers were traceable then (not just color). For serious enough cases (drugs mostly at that time, the terrorism stuff was strictly post 2001) prints could be sent for technical analysis (probably via 3 letter agency) and details came back (within 24 hours if it was serious enough). No-one seems to have picked up on the more concerning…

Does not look very useful, unfortunately: "REMINDER: IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT ALL RECENT COMMERCIAL COLOR LASER PRINTERS PRINT SOME KIND OF FORENSIC TRACKING CODES, NOT NECESSARILY USING YELLOW DOTS. THIS IS TRUE WHETHER OR NOT THOSE CODES ARE VISIBLE TO THE EYE AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PRINTER MODELS ARE LISTED HERE. THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE PRINTERS THAT ARE LISTED HERE AS NOT PRODUCING YELLOW DOTS. This list is no longer being updated." I wonder if it would be possible…