Method for storing and reading data

A method for storing data is described, wherein the data to be stored is printed in the form of a dot pattern comprising a plurality of dots onto the surface of an imprintable medium using a printing device, wherein the dot pattern comprises at least one dot pattern block covering a defined area on the imprintable medium, and wherein the area, which is covered by the at least one dot pattern block on the medium to be imprinted, comprises a plurality of partial surfaces of equal size disposed next to and/or on top of each other, a dot pattern each representing a portion of the data to be stored being printed in said partial area. The method described is characterized in that each partial area comprises one of several different base dot patterns, or a reference dot pattern, that each of the several base dot patterns includes of two dots, which with respect to a virtual reference point are disposed in a point-symmetrical manner inside the respective partial area, and that the base dot patterns differ with respect to the angle of the virtual connecting line between the two dots of the respective base dot pattern with respect to a virtual reference line. The invention further relates to a method for reading the data stored in this manner.