1. A method of forming a variable data pantograph comprising: receiving a variable data string associated with one or more pantograph characters; retrieving one or more character representations from a vocabulary of character representations stored in memory, the retrieved one or more character representations corresponding to the variable data string, each of the character representations in the vocabulary including a foreground region including a character shape, and a background region suitably sized and arranged for encompassing the foreground region, the background region incorporating a first pattern of elements and the foreground region incorporating a second pattern of elements; associating a respective target color with each of the one or more character representations; associating a first set of color separation control data with the respective target color for rendering the target color in the foreground region and associating a second set of color separation control data with the respective target color for rendering the target color in the background region for each of the one or more character representations; and assembling the one or more character representations to form a variable data pantograph, whereby when the variable data pantograph is rendered as a function of the associated first and second sets of color separation control data of the respective one or more character representations in an original document, the foreground and background regions are similar in tone to the respective target colors, and the foreground and background regions are substantially less similar in tone in a copy of the original document to render the one or more character foreground regions visible.