INFORMATION HIDING SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PRINTED MATTER INTO WHICH INFORMATION IS HIDDEN

An information hiding system that hides information-data in the printing-data according to steganography using an embedding means, and produces printed matter by printing out the printing-data on printable media. A scanner is used to read the data, such as image or pattern data, from the printed matter in order to restore the printing-data. The hidden information-data is then extracted from the restored printing-data using an information-data extracting means. Finally, the information-data is outputted in such a form as an image, musical or voice sound, and/or character letters according to the outputting means.