Hybrid Digital and Analog Data Storage

A data carrier having a surface, comprising:

• a plurality of recesses on the surface encoding information,
• wherein the plurality of recesses are grouped in pixels forming an image,
• wherein NR+NG+NB predetermined positions are attributed to each pixel, the NR+NG+NB predetermined positions comprising NR predetermined R positions, NG predetermined G positions and NB predetermined B positions,
• wherein each pixel comprises between zero and MR recesses located at a subset of zero to MR positions of the NR predetermined R positions,
• wherein each pixel comprises between zero and MG recesses located at a subset of zero to MG positions of the NG predetermined G positions,
• wherein each pixel comprises between zero and MB recesses located at a subset of zero to MB positions of the NB predetermined B positions,
• wherein the number of recesses at the predetermined R positions, nR, of a given pixel defines an intensity of the color red,
• wherein the number of recesses at the predetermined G positions, nG, of a given pixel defines an intensity of the color green,
• wherein the number of recesses at the predetermined B positions, nB, of a given pixel defines an intensity of the color blue, and
• wherein the subset of zero to MR positions, the subset of zero to MG positions, and/or the subset of zero to MB positions of a given pixel defines additional digital information attributed to the pixel.