A barcode with enhanced visual quality may be used with an item such as a document. The barcode includes a background field having an embedded graphic. The background caries data related to the item. The embedded graphic may obscure some background data. A bar coding apparatus, system and a corresponding method involve two basic functions: encoding and decoding. The encoding function uses an encoding algorithm to generate the barcode. The graphic is then embedded onto the barcode and the thus-generated enhanced visually significant barcode is placed on the item. Decoding involves machine-reading the barcode using a decoding algorithm. The decoding algorithm can operate with or without an original bit map that was used to generate the graphic. The graphic may be enhanced in a manner that may make at least a portion of the encoded information within the graphic readable by a human.