Some printers embed tiny yellow “tracking dots” on printed pages. If you print and scan a sensitive document, those dots can become part of the image — and metadata scrubbing can’t remove them.
This one surprises people. If you didn’t know this existed, you’re not alone.
Some printers, especially some color laser printers, may add tiny patterns (sometimes called “tracking dots”) that can identify the printer or print time.
Why this matters
If you print a sensitive document and then scan it, the scan may carry printer‑origin clues that metadata scrubbing can’t remove (because it’s now part of the image content).
Safer alternatives
- Prefer sharing a digital original (scrub metadata first).
- Avoid printing sensitive material when possible.
- If you must scan, assume the scan may carry device fingerprints.
This is one reason we emphasize that scrubbing can’t remove content‑based identifiers.
Related: what metadata is (and why it matters).