In what ways can developers optimize their Captcha code in PHP to ensure compatibility with modern OCR software and maintain effectiveness in deterring automated attacks?

To optimize Captcha code in PHP for compatibility with modern OCR software and maintain effectiveness in deterring automated attacks, developers can implement techniques such as using distortion filters, randomizing image backgrounds, and adding noise to the Captcha image. Additionally, rotating characters, using different fonts, and varying character sizes can further enhance security.

// Generate a Captcha image with distortion filters, random backgrounds, noise, rotated characters, different fonts, and varying sizes
function generateCaptchaImage($width, $height, $characters) {
    $image = imagecreatetruecolor($width, $height);
    // Add code here to apply distortion filters, random backgrounds, noise, rotated characters, different fonts, and varying sizes
    // Return the generated Captcha image
    return $image;
}

// Display the Captcha image on the webpage
$captchaImage = generateCaptchaImage(200, 50, 6);
header('Content-type: image/png');
imagepng($captchaImage);
imagedestroy($captchaImage);