this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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The reason printers have this issue is because inkjet printers print microdots on each page to ID the unique printer used.
I thought that usually used yellow
Maybe it does. It's been a long time since I looked into it.
It could also be an issue with how printers clean their jets. I know that uses ink as well.
True, that's the less noticeable colour. Magenta would have been a terrible (but amusing) choice.
No it's because they suck.
Isn't that really easily defeated by secondary selling?
If I buy a second hand printer there's no way to trade it back to me.
And what of laser printers?
They don't register the printer. If you're suspected of something and there is something printed as part of the evidence, they can then get a warrant and check if your printer matches. If you printed it and then destroyed the printer, then the tracking probably doesn't matter.
It's to link pieces of the same printed paper to the same printer and if they incriminated you they can cross reference.
For example printers detect and block printing money, but you manage to do it somehow they can trace the money back to the same source. Even if you are the first owner they can't trace it back to serial numbers because these aren't registered with a purchase.