This paper presents a general multiple-base (GMB) data embedding algorithm to conceal a serial secret bit stream equivalent to an M-ary secret digit in a pixel-cluster consisting of n pixels, where M is automatically determined by the initial input (n, F) given by the end user. Through the change of two parameters, n and M, the proposed algorithm offers a multiple-purpose message embedding style to produce a high quality embedded image or provide a large embedding payload. Inspired by a single base (SB) data embedding approach,