A method and apparatus are described for detecting photocopier tracking signatures
placed on documents produced by color photocopiers. The apparatus includes an input
terminal that supplies digital image data representing an input document produced
by a color photocopier. The digital image data includes a plurality of pixel values
grouped together to form a plurality of color separations that represent the input
document. The apparatus also includes an image processing unit that generates an
output image based on the digital image data. The image processing unit generates
the output image based on differences between corresponding pixel values of at
least two of the plurality of color separations. The apparatus further includes
an ouput terminal for displaying the output image to view the photocopier tracking
signature. Color differences can be detected by combining two or more of the color
separations into a resulting monochromatic image and then enhancing the resulting
color differences. The combination of the separations exposes small color differences
that are not detectable in any of the individual separations, thus enabling the
photocopier signature to be detected.