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Image authentication, which is provided with capabilities of tamper detection and data recovery, is an efficient way to protect the contents of digital images. Vector quantization (VQ) is a data compression method. A VQ-compressed code is not only a significant image authentication feature but also applicable in restoring possibly damaged pixels. However, if an image is tampered with, the necessary recovery information disappears. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a quantization-based image authentication scheme using two-dimensional (2D) barcodes to protect important features. Compared with older linear barcodes, 2D barcodes are a machine-readable representation of binary data that possess capabilities of location and tolerance. This paper presents a method for incorporating VQ-compressed code into 2D barcodes and embedding those barcodes into the image itself. Experimental results showed that VQ codes can be completely reserved during data recovery even though quick response codes sustain certain perceptible distortions. Moreover, the proposed scheme provided higher quality authenticated and recovered images compared with previous methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]