A method of printing a two-dimensional barcode by tilting the print head, which results in tilted barcode, and methods of detecting various types of attempts to forge the tilted barcode including: (i) a low level forgery that consists of a simple scan and reprint of the barcode, (ii) a low level forgery that consists of a reproduction (i.e., a read and regeneration) and subsequent printing of the barcode using a printer with a non-tilted print head by a fraudster that is not aware of the tilt in the original barcode, and (iii) a higher level forgery by a fraudster that is aware of the tilt in the original barcode and that digitally tilts/shears an image of the barcode and prints the digitally tilted/sheared image using a printer with a non-tilted print head in an effort to mimic the tilt present in the legitimate barcode.