In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method for creating a self-authenticating document is disclosed. The method comprises: providing a base substrate forming the document; printing an authentication seal on the document, the authentication seal comprising a printed portion comprising an ink creating a bleed area on the document where the ink and the substrate interact; and obtaining unique bleed properties of the bleed area. The bleed properties are obtained by scanning the bleed area upon termination of bleeding or drying to provide a description of the ink and substrate interaction to generate an identifier code representing the unique bleed properties. The method further comprises generating a signature of the identifier code, encoding the identifier code in an information carrier, and associating the information carrier with the document or storing the signed identifier code in a remote verification seal code that is not printed on the document. The authentication seal is capable of being scanned and compared to the information carrier or to the remote verification seal code, wherein the verification seal code is not located on the document and comprises the same code information as the identifier code.