Data storage format for encoding a bit stream on or in a surface

A method of data storage by encoding a bit stream on a surface, the method including:

• printing at least one data portion on said surface, the at least one data portion encoding a data sequence including the bit stream followed by corresponding redundancy data, the data sequence forming interleaved codewords, each codeword encoding at least part of the bit stream and redundancy data associated with the respective bit stream part,
• printing alignment data on or in the surface, the alignment data being at least partially indicative of the position of the data portions on the surface and including:
• a first registration structure indicative of a plurality of reference points indicative of a position of the coded data in the alignment direction;
• and,
• a second registration structure indicative of a plurality of reference points indicative of a position of the coded data in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction.