MANAGING PRINT JOBS

• US 20090207447A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cimpress USA, Incorporated (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: VistaPrint USA Incorporated (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Coursol, Sebastian, Robertson, Eric, Keane, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1262 by grouping or ganging jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet

Abstract

Methods for creating a customized document using a downloadable product design tolls executing in the user'"'"'s browser. A template for a partially completed product design is selected by the user and downloaded to the user'"'"'s computer for editing by the user at the user'"'"'s computer using the downloadable design tools. While viewing the product design template, the user can enter text or other content into the template elements. The completed product design can be uploaded to the server for production of the corresponding printed product.

Claims

1. A printed product, comprising:

a printed image printed by a printer which receives an electronic product design, the electronic product design comprising a partially completed electronic product design having one or more user editable and user positionable content containers, the one or more content containers comprising user content incorporated therein by a user.

2. A computer-implemented method for creating an electronic product design of a print item to be printed, the method comprising:

presenting, on a display of a user computer, a plurality of product type images for viewing by the user of the user computer, the product type images representing a plurality of different types of products that can be printed,

in response to the user'"'"'s selection of one of the product type images, presenting, on a display of a user computer, a plurality of template images for viewing by the user of the user computer, the template images representing electronic product design templates for the selected product type,

in response to the user'"'"'s selection of one of the template images, presenting on the user'"'"'s display an editable product design template associated with the selected template image, the editable product design template being a partially completed electronic product design and comprising one or more user editable content containers,

providing one or more product design software tools, the tools being adapted to allow the user of the user computer to edit the one or more user editable content containers of the editable product design template, and

receiving edits to the editable product design template, the edits entered the user using one or more of the tools to incorporate user content into the one or more user editable content containers of the editable product design template to create a custom electronic product design that can be printed to create a print item.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a request to print the custom electronic product design; and

printing the custom electronic product design to create a print item.

4. A printed item, created according to the method of claim 3.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more product design software tools are downloaded to the user computer, the tools being adapted to execute in the browser of the user computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the editable product design template is downloaded to the user computer for editing using the one or more product design software tools.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more product design software tools display the editable product design template and any user edits to the one or more user editable content containers incorporated therein to the user in WYSIWYG form.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising allowing the user to modify at least one feature of the partially completed electronic product design of selected product design template during the one or more product design software tools.

9. A computer-implemented method for creating an electronic product design of a print item to be printed, the method comprising:

receiving, at a user computer, a plurality of selectable template images for viewing by the user on a display of the user computer, the images representing electronic product design templates of print items that can be printed,

receiving a selection by the user of one of the template images, presenting on the user'"'"'s display an editable product design template associated with the selected template image, the editable product design template being a partially completed electronic product design and comprising one or more user editable content containers,

executing one or more product design software tools on the user computer, the tools being adapted to allow the user of the user computer to edit the one or more user editable content containers of the editable product design template, and

receiving edits to the editable product design template, the edits entered the user using one or more of the tools to incorporate user content into the one or more user editable content containers of the editable product design template to create a custom electronic product design that can be printed to create a print item; and

uploading the custom electronic product design to a server to be printed.