Embedded printing is the process of printing material into or onto another structure instead of creating a standalone object. In practice, that can mean depositing inks, pastes, conductive traces, labels, or functional layers directly onto a surface, substrate, or device. The method matters because the printed material becomes part of the host object, so the geometry, adhesion, and material compatibility all affect the result.
In cyber security, embedded printing appears in secure manufacturing, anti-counterfeit marking, and hardware prototyping. Defenders may use it to add serialized identifiers, conductive sensors, or tamper-evident features to devices. Attackers can abuse similar techniques to hide antennas, wire paths, or other hardware modifications inside ordinary-looking objects. Because the material is integrated with the base structure, inspection and removal can be difficult, making design review, provenance checks, and physical inspection important controls.