Abstract: An automated hybrid mail system/method which sends a recipient document including one or more graphic image files from a sender to a recipient. The system/method includes receiving an electronic document transmitted from terminal, the electronic document includes a pack containing an ordered set of graphic image files. The graphic image files are obtained from one or more application documents. The system/method provides mixed colour printing of the recipient document including more than one page. The method includes sending the recipient document to a printer able to print the recipient document. Each page of the recipient document is previously assigned a colour mode prior to printing, the colour mode indicative of monochrome, colour or pattern printing. The colour mode indicative of pattern printing results in each page of the recipient document printing in either monochrome or colour according to the colour mode assigned to a section to which the page belongs.

Abstract: An automated hybrid mail system/method (10) which sends a graphic image file (525) from a sender's terminal (14) to a recipient (12). The system/method includes receiving, at server (21), an electronic document (47) transmitted from terminal (14), the electronic document (47) includes a graphic image file (525) with a document ID (530), the graphic image file (525) obtained from an application document (13). Printed hardcopy document (540) is scanned by scanner (545) which reads pre-printed medium identifier (520) and document ID (530) to determine if there is a match between medium identifier (520) and document ID (530). The determination of a match indicates the correct physical medium (510) (e.g. letterhead stock) was used.

Abstract: An automated hybrid mail system/method (10) which sends a graphic image file (47a) from a sender's terminal (14) to a recipient (12). The system/method includes receiving, at server (21), an electronic document (47) transmitted from terminal (14), the electronic document (47) includes a graphic image file (47a), the graphic image (47a) obtained from an application document (13) and a regular expression (42) extracted from the graphic image file (47a). The graphic image file (47a) is sent from the server (21) to the recipient (12) using a delivery options (51, 52, 53) specified in the regular expression (42). The regular expression may not be printed as part of the graphic image file and the regular expression can be extracted by software (15) resident on the terminal (14). The regular expression may be an alpha-numeric string.

Abstract: An automated hybrid mail system/method (10) which sends a graphic image file (17a) from a sender's terminal (14) into a postal network (26) via a remote printing facility (24). The system/method can concatenate or consolidate a plurality of application documents into a virtual print stream for printing by producing a plurality of graphic image files (17a), each graphic image file obtained from a different application document, consolidating at least some of the plurality of graphic image files (17a) into a virtual print stream, and producing an electronic document (17), the electronic document (17) including at least the virtual print stream. The electronic document (17) is transmitted to a processing system (24) for subsequent automated printing of each graphic image file (17a) as a hardcopy document (25) by a printer (24).

Abstract: An automated hybrid mail system/method (10) which sends a graphic image file (17a) from a sender's terminal (14) into a postal network (26) via a remote printing facility (24). The system/method (10) can print a hardcopy document (25) with a letterhead, the method includes: receiving an electronic document (17) from terminal (14), the electronic document (17) including at least the graphic image file (17a) and a document ID, the document ID associated with a letterhead, the graphic image file (17a) having been obtained from an application document. The graphic image file (17a) is transmitted to a printer server (24) to be printed with the letterhead as a hardcopy document (25) by a printer (24), the letterhead having been obtained using the document ID.

Abstract: An automated hybrid mail system/method which sends a graphic image file from the sender's terminal into a postal network via a remote printing facility . The system checks the recipient's address is correctly located on the graphic image file before sending and optionally verifying the recipient's address and adding a correct Delivery Point ID and bar code. Client-side operations require no filling in of pre-defined fields or templates; any computer application that produces a printable application document can be used. Preferably, a single-click or simple operation by the sender can send the application document to be printed as a hardcopy document and mailed to a recipient The server-side operations are automated. The system tracks the graphic image file using a unique identification number allocated when the graphic image file is created on the sender's terminal.