Printing Digital Data to Paper: An Extreme Storage Method
This article explores various methods of storing digital data on paper, ranging from simple character encoding (like Base16, Base32, Base64) to more complex dot encodings (like QR codes, Optar), and even color encodings. The author experimentally compares the information density and reliability of different methods and discusses key issues such as OCR, error correction codes, and long-term storage. Results show that dot encoding methods (like stacked QR codes and Optar) can store up to 100KB of data on an A4 page, while character encoding methods are limited by OCR accuracy, resulting in relatively small storage capacity. The article also explores the possibility of handwriting data encoding and paper data transmission, offering new ideas for preserving digital data under extreme conditions.
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