Kim Commando

That's GetKim.com.

Hi, Kim Commando here.

Well, first up, we have your digital life hack.

And after that, I'm going to play a call from my weekend national radio show.

Every document you print has a secret code on it, and it traces right back to you.

I'm Kim Commando for Carbonite, my number one choice for cloud backup.

Get 50% off at carbonite.com slash Kim.

Live a better digital life with Carbonite.

Most color printers add tiny yellow dots to every single page.

They're nearly invisible.

You can't see them unless you know where to look.

Those dots contain your printer's serial number, plus the date and time you printed the document.

Law enforcement has used this for years to track down counterfeiters, leakers, and even the person who leaked NSA documents back in 2017.

They match the yellow dots to a printer.

Want to see them?

Print a page with some color on it.

Shine a blue LED light on it in a dark room.

And there they are, tiny yellow dots in a pattern.

Not every printer does this, but most major brands do.

HP, Canon, Xerox, Brother, there is no way to turn them off.