Abstract: A design-to-press enabled printing device and a design-to-finish enabled finishing device in a commercial printing environment and method for managing workflow for use with the same. The present invention provides a method, program product and system for managing workflow in a commercial printing environment including a designer location and a print service provider location, where the method comprises establishing a closed-loop communication link between the designer location and the print service provider location, creating a press ready file at the designer location using updated device configuration information received from the print service provider location via the closed-loop communication link, submitting the press ready file to the print service provider location via the closed-loop communication link, and performing at automated printing of the press ready file using a digital printer to create printed output corresponding to the press ready file.

Abstract: A method, program product and system for performing automated shipping in a commercial printing environment including a designer location and a print service provider location, where the method comprises: creating a production ready file at the designer location using updated device configuration information from the print service provider location, where the production ready file includes shipping instructions, submitting the production ready file to the print service provider location via an electronic network, receiving a printed output of the production ready file and shipping the printed output at a shipping device in accordance with shipping instructions from the production ready file.

Abstract: An integrated workflow for commercial printing with an automated, pre-submittal preflight check. The present invention provides a method, program product and system for managing workflow in a commercial printing environment including a designer location and a print service provider location, where the method comprises creating a press ready file at the designer location using updated device configuration information from the print service provider location including performing an automated preflight check of the press ready file to identify errors in the press ready file, submitting the press ready file to the print service provider location via an electronic network and performing at least one of automated printing, finishing, packaging and shipping using the press ready file.

Abstract: A design-to-pack high performance workflow for use in a commercial printing environment and method of managing the same. The present invention provides a method, program product and system for managing workflow in a commercial printing environment including a designer location and a print service provider location, where the method comprises creating a press ready file at the designer location using updated device configuration information from the print service provider location, submitting the press ready file to the print service provider location via an electronic network, verifying, at the print service provider location, that the press ready file will print at the print service provider location as designed at the designer location and, if not, correcting the press ready file to ensure printing substantially as designed, and performing automated shipping using, if created, said corrected press ready file, else using said verified press ready file.

Abstract: A method, program product and system for performing automated packaging in a commercial printing environment including a designer location and a print service provider location, where the method comprises: creating a production ready file at the designer location using updated device configuration information from the print service provider location, where the production ready file includes packaging instructions, submitting the production ready file to the print service provider location via an electronic network, receiving a printed output of the production ready file and packaging the printed output at a packaging device in accordance with packaging instructions from the production ready file.

Abstract: A system for assembling the various pieces of a complex document that may be created in different formats and/or by different document generating application programs, while preserving the integrity of those individual file formats, and printing the fully assembled complex document. The invention may be generally characterized as (1) arranging individual document files created by different document generating application programs , MSWord®, MSExcel®, and Adobe Acrobat® for example, in different file formats (*.doc, *.xlc, *.pdf) in the order that they will appear in the compound document and then (2) launching the corresponding document generating application program to print each file in the arranged order and thereby print the compound document.

Abstract: A lamination imaging system of the present invention includes a printing system and a lamination module connected to the printing system. The lamination module includes a module logic unit for generating imaging instructions. The lamination module forms an image from a plurality of printed sheets sent from the printing system based on these imaging instructions. In particular, through a lamination finishing sequence, the lamination module laminates the plurality of printed sheets to form the image.

Abstract: A method of producing a customized document includes designing at least one intelligent template for the customized document, enabling use of the at least one intelligent template, including maintaining a database including the at least one intelligent template, retrieving an intelligent template for the customized document from the database including the at least one intelligent template, and customizing the intelligent template for the customized document, including modifying a format of the intelligent template for the customized document to create an intelligent document.

Abstract: A method of producing a document for a customer at a point-of-need includes selecting an intelligent template for the document from the point-of-need, merging data of the customer with the intelligent template for the document to create an intelligent document, and producing the document for the customer at the point-of-need based on the intelligent document.

Abstract: A method of formatting an electronic representation of a page of a document to be imaged by an imaging device. The method includes determining if the electronic representation of the page is oriented in a predetermined orientation. If the electronic representation of the page is not oriented in the predetermined orientation, the electronic representation of the page is rotated so that the electronic representation of the page is in the predetermined orientation. Thereafter the electronic representation of the page can either be imaged or stored in a computer readable memory. The steps can be performed by a page orientation program which is executed by a processor in an imaging device. The imaging device can include an optical scanner to generate the electronic representation of the page from an original tangible document.

Abstract: A method of formatting an electronic representation of a page of a document to be imaged by an imaging device. The method includes determining if the electronic representation of the page is oriented in a predetermined orientation. If the electronic representation of the page is not oriented in the predetermined orientation, the electronic representation of the page is rotated so that the electronic representation of the page is in the predetermined orientation. Thereafter the electronic representation of the page can either be imaged or stored in a computer readable memory. The steps can be performed by a page orientation program which is executed by a processor in an imaging device. The imaging device can include an optical scanner to generate the electronic representation of the page from an original tangible document.

Abstract: A lamination imaging system of the present invention includes a printing system and a lamination module connected to the printing system. The lamination module includes a module logic unit for generating imaging instructions. The lamination module forms an image from a plurality of printed sheets sent from the printing system based on these imaging instructions. In particular, through a lamination finishing sequence, the lamination module laminates the plurality of printed sheets to form the image.

Abstract: A document processing system provides information corresponding to a scanned document. Preferably, the document processing system includes a scan review system that is configured to receive scan information corresponding to a scanned document. The scan review system enables selection of a registration characteristic of a page of a document to be scanned. Once the registration characteristic is selected, the document may be reviewed relative to the selected registration characteristic. So configured, in response to identifying a page of the document as not possessing the selected registration characteristic, the scan review system may designate that page(s) for review. Methods and computer readable media also are provided.

Abstract: Document processing systems are provided that are capable of facilitating scanning of one or more documents via multiple scanners. In this regard, a preferred document processing system includes a document assembly system. The document assembly system is configured to electrically communicate with a first scanner, which may be assigned to a first group of scanners, and a second scanner, which may be assigned to a second group of scanners. The scanners provide scan information to the document assembly system. The document assembly system is configured to correlate the scan information received from the first scanner with the scan information received from the second scanner. Computer readable media and methods also are provided.

Abstract: A network assembly and associated method for assigning an identification code to an electronic file includes a reference repository, an indexing unit linked with the reference repository, and an editing unit linked with the reference repository and the indexing unit. The reference repository receives the electronic file from a communications network, such as the Internet, and stores characteristic information associated with the electronic file. The indexing unit assigns and stores an identification code with respect to the characteristic information. The editing unit inserts the identification code to the electronic file in a format suitable for the electronic file. The network assembly further includes a review unit linked with the editing unit for reviewing the inserted identification code before dispatching the electronic file from the network assembly.

Abstract: A virtual publishing system and associated method for publishing an authored work in a communications network environment includes a publisher, a repositor linked with the publisher, and a sales manager linked with the publisher and the repositor. The publisher converts the authored work to a resulting commercial-grade publication. The repositor is provided for storing the commercial-grade publication received from the publisher. The sales manager retrieves the commercial-grade publication from the repositor and distributes that commercial-grade publication.

Abstract: A printer selection system includes a communications network linked with a network addressable device. The network addressable device includes a global printer array and an assessor. Through the communications network, the assessor receives from a network user a print command along with network user parameters. With the network user parameters, the assessor selects a localized printer from the global printer array to meet user parameters and to optimize time and printing costs. The assessor selects the localized printer via computer program code accompanying the network addressable device. The program code, in particular, executes a print sequence as well as a printer search routine. Accordingly, the print command is forwarded to the localized printer. The localized printer executes a resulting print job at a minimum distance from the network user and within the network user parameters.

Abstract: A printing system provides consumer messages to users of the printing device by storing user message data in memory located in the printing device and displaying the user message upon the occurrence of a certain event. The user message data may either be an electronic representation of the user message, or it may be a pointer corresponding to an external memory location that contains the electronic representation of the user message.