1. A method of verifying the authenticity of a test document relative to an authentic document, each of the documents having at least one indicia printed thereon, said method comprising: optically capturing at a predetermined magnification a first image of at least a portion of said indicia on the authentic document; optically capturing at a predetermined magnification a second image of a corresponding portion of said indicia on the test document; characterizing the first and second images; verifying whether said first and second images are sufficiently identical; and indicating whether the test document is authentic; wherein said characterizing process comprises: creating respective first and second binary images based upon said first and second images; and creating respective first and second single-color images based upon said first and second binary images, said first single-color image having a first color, said second single-color image having a second color, said first color being, different from said second color; and wherein said verifying process comprises: aligning the first and second single and different color images; superimposing the aligned first and second single and different color images to produce a superimposed image of a composite color; and analyzing the images to determine whether the first and second single and different color images are substantially identical.