In this paper we consider the problem of document authentication in electronic and printed forms. We formulate this problem from the information-theoretic perspectives and present the joint source-channel coding theorems showing the performance limits in such protocols. We analyze the security of document authentication methods and present the optimal attacking strategies with corresponding complexity estimates that, contrarily to the existing studies, crucially rely on the information leaked by the authentication protocol. Finally, we present the results of experimental validation of the developed concept that justifies the practical efficiency of the elaborated framework.