Reversible Adaptive Visible Watermark based on Color Statistics

Embedding conspicuous digital visible watermarks on images inevitably compromises their original integrity. To address this challenge, we propose a reversible adaptive visible watermarking method that allows the watermark to be color adaptive, highly salient, and capable of traceless removal with authorization. This method relies on statistical analysis of the color information within the original image to determine the optimal stamp code for encoding the watermark pixels. Additionally, the use of the stamp code facilitates the reverse decoding of the watermark pixels, enabling traceless removal of the visible watermark. Experimental results show that the peak signal-to-noise ratio values of the carrier images reach approximately 50 after watermark removal. The normalized energy of watermark visibility is significantly improved compared to other reversible visible watermarking methods. These experiments highlight the method’s ability to realize adaptive addition and traceless removal of visible watermarks, solving the difficulties of balance between original image integrity and watermark clarity.