BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of commercial printing, printing customers forward print jobs to commercial printers, who fill the customers'orders. Print jobs from a printing customer will both identify the content of the print job and the number of copies to be printed. The printed material will vary according to the customer's needs, but may include such items as business cards, product cards, checks, invitations, brochures, posters, corporate stationery, and any other materials that can exist in printed form.

A single customer may order several print jobs at once. In some cases, the content of each print job will include both standard information, which will not vary among the individual print jobs, and personalized information, which is unique to each printing job. As an example, in the case of a business card, each business card will include text or graphics that are the same for each business card of an organization, including the name of the organization, the logo or slogan of the organization, and the office locations of the organization. In addition, each business card will include personalized information that is unique to each card, including the employee's name, title, telephone number, and address.

As such each printing order will include both standard or static printed content and personalized or unique printed content. The same format of standard and personalized information may also apply to printing orders for checks, invitations, brochures, and other printed business materials.

To improve efficiency and reduce costs in the printing process, print jobs of like quantity, layout, or both are grouped, or ganged, together for printing. As an example of the grouping process, a printed sheet may be able to accommodate eight business cards, allowing eight different jobs, multiple copies of eight different jobs, or eight copies of the same job to be printed from each sheet. Increasing the number of times the same job is ganged on a sheet

proportionately reduces the necessary number of sheets to be printed, and, as a result, the print run time. Similarly, ganging more than one job on a sheet reduces the number of individual sheets that must be printed, thereby reducing the time required to prepare the press sheet for new print runs.

The following example may illustrate these points. If a print customer places an order for 100 business cards for each of eight employees in an organization, the order could be produced in one of two ways. If each job were handled individually, eight copies of the same job could be ganged on one sheet. To reach the desired quantity of 100 business cards, the sheet for each job would have to be run thirteen times. In addition, eight separate sheets would have to be prepared. All told, the eight press sheets would be run a total of 104 times.

As an alternative, the eight print jobs could be grouped or ganged on a single press sheet, and the single press sheet could be run 100 times. Although the second approach involves a similar number of press sheet runs as the first approach, the second approach results in an overall savings in both time and cost, to the printer.

The ganging process itself can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. The commercial printer often manually configures the press sheet, estimating the configuration of print jobs on the press sheet that will result in the fewest press runs and the fewest number of press sheets and, therefore, the lowest cost to the printer. The printer may also consider running the available print jobs among one of several available printers. Many of the gains in efficiency achieved by the ganging process are often negated by the frequently laborious task of arranging the ganged press sheet, potentially increasing rather than decreasing costs. As an example, the time savings introduced by ganging four or more jobs on a single sheet would be outweighed by the time spent in preparing a press sheet to accommodate the four print jobs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a method and system for dynamically grouping ordered print jobs is disclosed that substantially reduces or eliminates the disadvantages and problems associated with prior methods for grouping print jobs.

The online print job grouping system of the present invention facilitates the grouping or ganging of ordered print jobs. After a customer of the online print ordering system has submitted multiple print jobs, the jobs may be grouped according to the system and method of the present invention. The jobs can be grouped by an administrator, who can access the system through a standard Internet connection. The administrator can locate jobs by searching according to one or more of several available search parameters. Following the search, the administrator can select the jobs for grouping. Once the jobs are selected, a sheet layout is displayed having several template or printing locations. The administrator can select among several controls to modify the layout of the jobs on the page or pages of the sheet layout. Once the administrator has completed the modifications to the arrangement of the sheet layout, sheets containing the corresponding jobs are saved as a portable file format and transmitted electronically to a commercial printer for printing.

As an alternative to manual grouping by an examiner, grouping can be performed automatically according to an established grouping methodology. The system may perform the automatic grouping function once a number of jobs for a certain template have been submitted or when a maximum time has elapsed since the most recent grouping of jobs for a certain template. Once the automatic grouping has been initiated by the accumulation of print jobs, the passage of time, or a set schedule. The available jobs or a subset of available jobs is grouped in a manner that arranges the jobs on the page or pages of the sheet layout so as to minimize the number of pages of the sheet layout and the number of times that the sheet layout must be run by the printer to complete the print jobs.

The online job grouping system of the present invention is advantageous in that it permits the dynamic grouping of print jobs in a manner that significantly reduces the time and labor required of prior grouping methods. The system permits the user to explore numerous grouping configurations by manipulating the controls that govern the content and the arrangement of the sheet layout containing the grouped jobs. In this manner, different configurations of grouped jobs can be created easily and with little effort to achieve the most efficient and cost-effective arrangement for printing a set of jobs.

The online job grouping system disclosed herein is also advantageous in that it permits the grouping of jobs by a remote administrator. Print jobs for user templates are collected by the online print ordering system. An administrator, who may be located remotely from both the print customers and the facility of the online ordering system, may

access the system to group a set of jobs for printing. In this manner, the print job grouping process need not be conducted as part of a standalone software application or in some other manner that restricts the location and access of a print administrator.

Another advantage of the online grouping system of the present invention is that grouping may occur automatically without administrator intervention once the number of jobs submitted for a particular template reaches a maximum number or when a maximum time has elapsed between groupings. Once an initiator is triggered the submitted jobs are grouped on one or more pages of a sheet layout according to an established set of content controls and a suitable methodology for insuring that the jobs are placed in template locations on the sheet layout to minimize the cost of printing.

Other technical advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete understanding of the present invention and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein: Figure 1 is a diagram of the online print order network; Figure 2 is a flow diagram of the template selection process; Figure 3 is a depiction of a web page for the selection of a template; Figure 4a is a flow diagram of a data editing process; Figure 4b is a flow diagram of a data record selection and editing process; Figure 5 is a depiction of a web page for the selection of search categories for the selection of data records; Figure 6 is a depiction of a web page depicting a drop down having search categories for the selection of data records; Figure 7 is a depiction of a web page showing a list of data records returned following a search of data records; Figure 8 is a depiction of a web page showing a queue of data records selected by the user from the list of data records returned following a search of data records; Figure 9 is a flow diagram of the layout approval process; Figure 10 is a depiction of a web page for the editing of the format of a proof layout;

Figure 11 is a depiction of a web page in which one of several data entries has been de-selected as part of the editing of the format of a proof layout; Figure 12 is a flow diagram of the entry of order information; Figure 13 is a depiction of a web page for the entry of order information for a print job; Figure 14 is a flow diagram for the print job ordering process; and Figure 15 is a flow diagram of the job grouping process of the present invention; Figure 16 is a depiction of a web page displaying the results of a search of jobs to be grouped; Figure 17 is a depiction of a web page displaying a sheet layout and a set of sheet layout controls; Figure 18 is a depiction of a web page displaying a sheet layout and a set of output controls; and Figure 19 is a depiction of a web page displaying sets of parameters for automatic grouping of print jobs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for dynamically ganging printing orders as part of an online print job ordering system. The present invention discloses a system and process for the efficient processing of completed print jobs prior to printing. After a number of jobs have been ordered by a print customer through the online ordering system, the jobs must be processed prior to printing. The present inventions automates the print job ganging process to permit the ganging process to be conducted dynamically through the online ordering system. In addition, the present invention allows the user to capture in a saved file the desired layout of the ganged press sheet. This saved layout can be archived, transmitted electronically to another location, or output to a printer to complete the print job.

Shown in Figure 1 is a representation of the online print order network 10 of the present invention. Print order network 10 includes a number of print customers associated with clients computers 12, a print order clearinghouse associated with a server computer system 14, and a number of printers 16. Server system 14 may include associated databases or mass storage 15. Print customers 12 may be any commercial, not-for-profit, or government organization that has printing needs. The printing needs of the organization may

vary widely, but may include the customized printing of such items as business cards, brochures, sales sheets, corporate stationery, direct mail products, product cards, financial instruments, business forms, invitations, brochures, banners, signs, and advertisements. The print order clearinghouse 14 collects print orders from print customers. Print order clearinghouse 14 consolidates in one entity the design of the print orders, the collection of the print orders, and the transmission of the collected print orders to one or more commercial printers 16. The consolidation of these tasks in one entity is an aid to the printing customer in that the printing customer need not do business directly with a number of commercial printers. Rather, the clearinghouse 14 reduces the cost to printing customers by collecting the print orders and transmitting the print orders to commercial printers 16 who are able to handle the order at the lowest cost, who have print equipment able to accommodate the print order, or who are located near the print customer 12. In some instances, the commercial printer will be associated with or at the same location as the print order clearinghouse 14.

In the embodiment of the invention of Figure 1, the print customers 12, print order clearinghouse 14, and printers 16 (whether or not associated with the clearinghouse 14) are coupled to one another through a communications network 18. Communications network 18 may include a private wide area network or a generally accessible, virtual network, such as the Internet. In the case of the Internet, the print customers can access the web site using any standard browser. Each customer of the print order clearinghouse 14 will include a login name and login password. In this manner, each customer is able to access only that portion of the online ordering system that is associated with its unique customer identification code or number. In the case of an Internet-based print order clearinghouse 14, after a customer reaches the web site of the print order clearinghouse, the customer is prompted at a login screen to enter the print customer's unique customer identifier and password. Requiring a unique customer identifier and password permits the print order clearinghouse to monitor each customer's access to the web site, readily identify the customer throughout the order process, and limit the access of each customer to sensitive information of other print customers of the print order clearinghouse.

The online print ordering process uses a template-based system for the creation of print jobs. A template is any layout that may be repeatedly used by the customer to create a print job. A template may include both static information and dynamic locations for the entry of customized of customer-specific data. As an example, a template for a business card will

include as static information the company logo and street address. The business card template will also indicate locations for the entry of customized information, such as the name of an employee and the employee's job title. The customizable information of each print jobs will vary with each use of the template.

Shown in Figure 2 is a flow diagram of the template selection process of the online print ordering system. In some cases, the user will proceed to the template selection process following the user's entry into the system. At step 202 of Figure 2, the user initiates the template selection process by selecting the Template tab of the template selection web page of the online print job ordering system. A depiction of the template selection web page 217, including Template tab 218, is indicated in Figure 3. Following the selection of the Template tab on web page 217, the online print job ordering system displays at step 204 for the customer a list of template types. The list of template types or categories is itself customizable and is matched to the customer's prior indication of preferred or previously selected template types. In the case of a consulting firm, for example, the template types may include the following template types: business card, brochure, envelope, and letterhead. In the case of a product manufacturer, the selection of template types may include the following template types: business card, brochure, product cards, letterhead, envelope, and invoices.

Thus, the list of templates types available to each customer is associated with the print customer's unique customer identifier. At step 206, the user selects the template type, and at step 208 the system displays for the user a list of templates for the selected template type.

With reference to Figure 3, example web page 217 depicts the left frame of the web page following the user's selection of"Business Card"as the preferred template type. Shown in box 220 is a listing 22 of the customer's available"Business Card"templates. A number of templates for each template type will be established for each use depending on the user's business needs. In the example of Figure 3, two templates are available under the Business Card template type. More or fewer template types may be available depending on the needs of the printing customer. As an example, a corporate customer may have a business card that varies slightly for the employees of each of its several operating divisions. A separate template could be established for the business card of each operating division. Each entry in the template listing 222 includes a short description of the template as well as PREVIEW, ORDER, and REVIEW JOBS buttons. Each template entry may describe the predefined dimension of the template, as well as the set of predefined colors or maximum number of

colors of the template. Shown at 224 is a listing of the customer's template types. Should the customer wish to view the available templates for another template type, the customer selects or clicks on another of the available template types.

At step 210, the user selects one of the templates to be previewed. In the example web page 217 of Figure 3, the user has selected the template"C2 Media Standard Business Card"to be previewed. Following the user's selection of a template, a preview of the template is generated at step 212. A preview 226 of the template"C2 Media Standard Business Card"is shown in the right frame of web page 217. Included in the template is static information in the form a logo 230 and dynamic or customizable data locations 228. In the example of Figure 3, the dynamic or customizable data fields or locations 228 include an address field 225, a contact information field 227, a name field 229, and an employee information field 231. At step 214, if the user determines that the previewed template is not correct or simply not wanted, it may select either another template at step 210 or another type of template at step 206. If the user approves of the template and wishes to create and order a print job based on the template, the user selects the order button to the right of the template listing in the left frame of web page 217.

The databases of the print order clearinghouse 14 store the data that is used to populate the template or templates that are selected during the template selection process.

Data is stored in the database of the print order clearinghouse in the form of customer- specific records. This data can be entered manually by each customer or it may be entered in the database as part of a transfer from the customer's database to the database of the clearinghouse. As an example, each record of the database for a given print customer may identify the name, title, telephone number, facsimile number, mailing address, and email address of each employee of the customer. During the print ordering process, this data, which is maintained by the print order clearinghouse, can be accessed by the print customer to populate a template or templates selected by the customer.

When a customer has elected to order a print job based on a template that includes dynamic data locations 228, the user may select the Data tab 232 of web page 217. As an alternative, the system may direct the user to the functionality of the Data tab of the print ordering system. After this functionality has been selected, the user can populate the dynamic data locations of the web template with data from records that have been previously stored by the user in the database of the print order clearinghouse. Shown in Figure 4a is a

flow diagram of the process of populating the dynamic or customizable portions of a selected template with data. At step 402, the user or the system selects the Data tab of web page 217.

Although the system selects the Data tab whenever a template is ordered having dynamic data fields, the user can also initiate the data entry process by selecting the Data tab. After the selection of the functionality of the Data tab, the system may load the data records for an uncompleted print job. If the user had previously used the online print ordering system and had selected a template and a data record, but had not completed the process of ordering the system may initially populate the template with data from the previously selected data record.

If a record is pre-loaded by the system, the data entry processing moves from the decision block at step 404 to the decision block at step 406, where the user is given the option of changing the loaded record.

If the user wishes to change the loaded record, processing continues at step 408, where the user is given the option of editing the record that has been selected for loading into the template previously selected by the user. If the user edits and saves the record at step 410, processing continues at step 404, where the edited and saved record now resembles a pre-loaded record from the standpoint of the data entry process. If a pre-loaded record is not loaded by the system following the selection by the user or the system of the functionality of the Data tab, processing continues at step 412, where the user is given the option of proceeding with a blank record. If the user chooses to proceed with a blank record, a proof of the blank record is created at step 414. Similarly, if the user chooses at step 406 to proceed with the pre-loaded record, a proof is created at step 414 of the pre-loaded record. With reference to step 408, if the user wants to change the data record from the pre-loaded data record, but does not want to edit the data record, the user has the option at step 416 of proceeding with a blank data record. If the user chooses to proceed with a blank record, a proof of a blank record is created at step 418. If following the decision steps of step 412 or step 416, the user chooses not to proceed with a blank record, the processing proceeds to the data search stage, which is shown in more detail in Figure 4b. In sum, the search function at step 420 is reached if the user does not want to proceed with a pre-loaded record (including an edited version of a pre-loaded record) or a blank record, and the user wants to locate a record from the database of stored records maintained by the print order clearinghouse.

Shown in Figure 4b is a flow diagram of the search process for locating records from the database of the print order clearinghouse. The user or customer reaches this functionality

of the online print ordering system if the user chooses to search the database for one or more records to populate the selected template. The records that may be searched and retrieved by the user are only those records that are associated with the customer, by an association with the customer's unique identifier, and that are associated with the template selected by the user. As an example, because the customer's search is limited to those records associated with its unique customer identifier, the customer cannot populate a template with data from another customer of the online ordering system. Similarly, in the case of a template for a business card, the customer cannot retrieve records that are not associated with business cards, such as records for products, which could be used to populate templates for product cards or brochures.

Following the initiation of the search function by the system at step 420, the user selects the criteria for the search. Shown on example web page 217 of Figure 5, the two primary criteria for a search of records for business cards are shown in Employee box 440 and Location box 442. In the case of business cards in the example web page of Figure 5, the user can begin searching by selecting either the employee name or the business location as an identifier of the records to be searched. Assuming that the customer selects Employee box 440, the customer is directed to the web page of Figure 6. At step 422 of Figure 4b, the user is able to access a drop down menu 444 to search the database for specific employee records according to one of the listed data fields. The records that are searchable by the user are dependent on the type of template selected by the user. In the case of business cards, records are searchable on the basis of the name of certain employee identifiers or location identifiers.

If, for example, a product card or brochure was selected as the template type, the searchable records would be product records that could be searched by their name or some suitable other identifier.

In the example of Figure 6, the customer can search the database by one of several variables, including the telephone number or the city of the employee as indicated by the employee data records stored in the clearinghouse database. Also included in the search box 448 is a dialog box 446. The customer may enter a value in dialog box 446 to narrow the search. In the example web page 217 of Figure 7, a search has been performed of all employee records in which the city of the employee is Denver. After the user has selected "Employee"for drop down menu 444 and"Denver"for dialog box 446, the customer selects the Find button 450, as referenced in step 424 of the flow diagram of Figure 4b. Following

the search function, the search utility returns a list of records 452 meeting the search criteria.

At step 428 of Figure 4b, if the customer is not satisfied with the results of the search, the customer can return to step 422 to begin another search.

If the customer is pleased with the results of the search, the process of populating the selected template continues at step 430, where the user is given the option of editing any of the records returned by the search. If the user at step 432 chooses to edit any of the records returned by the search, the user selects the Edit button 454 (Figure 4b) next to the records to be edited. After the user edits the fields of the data record at step 434, processing continues at step 426 with the presentation to the user of the list of records returned as part of the previous records search. If the user chooses not to edit records at step 430, the user has the option at step 435 of creating a new record. The creation of a new record would be useful if, for example, a new employee has joined the user's organization and the clearinghouse database had not yet been updated to reflect the status of the new employee. If the customer chooses to enter a new record at step 435, processing continues at step 436, where the user selects the New Record button 456. Following the selection of the New Record button 456, processing continues at step 434, where the user enters the data of the new record.

Processing then continues at step 426, where the system displays the list of records returned as part of the previous records search. If the user chooses not to create a new record, processing continues at step 437, where the user checks the records that will be used to populate the selected template by selecting the check buttons 458 next to the desired records.

In the example of Figure 7, the check boxes next to the records for John Barker, Tom Calter, and Cathy Curry have been selected. At step 438, the system creates jobs for the selected records.

After the user has selected one or more of data records to populate the selected template, a job queue is displayed. In Figure 8, the job queue 460 is shown. Job queue 460 displays the list of jobs 462 that are currently in the customer's queue. The jobs in the job queue may fall into one of three categories: In Progress, Ready to Submit, or On Hold. In the example of Figure 8, the three jobs in the queue are all In Progress. A job falls in the In Progress category if the customer has not yet approved the proof layout for the job. A job falls in the Ready To Submit category if the customer has approved the proof layout for the job but has not yet provided the necessary ordering information for the job. A job is in the On Hold category if the job was initiated by a customer at an earlier time but not has not

progressed through the ordering process. The jobs in the queue in the example of Figure 3 are each in the In Progress category. If the user selects the Process Queue button, the system cycles through each job in the queue. For each job in the In Progress category, the system proceeds to the approval of the layout of the proof. For those jobs in the Ready to Submit category, processing continues with the entry of the order information and ordering steps.

For those jobs in the On Hold category, processing proceeds to the approval of the layout of the proof.

After the user has chosen the data to be entered for a particular job on the selected template, processing of the print job continues with the approval of the layout of the selected data in the selected template. A flow diagram of the layout approval process is shown in Figure 9. After the Layout function is selected at step 466, a layout approval web page is displayed for the user. An example of such a page is shown in Figure 10. In the left frame 484 of the page is the data from the data record that matches the dynamic data fields of the selected template. In the right frame 486 is a proof of the template, which is now populated with the data from the selected data record. The address from the employee's data record is used to populate the address field. The telephone numbers from the employee's data record are used to populate the contact information field 227. The name of the employee is used to populate the name field 229, and the job title and email address of the employee is used to populate the employee information field 231 (as those dynamic fields are shown in Figure 3).

In the example of Figure 10, a business card has now been populated with data from the data record of employee John Barker. As such, the name, telephone numbers, address, and job title of employee John Barker are placed in the dynamic data fields of the selected business card template. At step 468 of the flow diagram of Figure 9, the user is given the option of proceeding with the job order process. If the customer does not wish to proceed with the job order process, the job can be put on hold at step 478. If the customer wants to proceed with the job order process, the customer is given the option of changing the data in the data record at step 470. If the customer wishes to change the data in the data record, processing continues with the customer being given the option of changing the data in the data record.

If the data in the data record is correct and complete, the customer is given the option of modifying the layout at step 472. Modifying the layout of the proof may include editing the data in the data record or modifying the format of the proof at step 474. The format of the proof may be modified by reformatting the wrapping of lines in the proof or deselecting data

for inclusion in the proof. With respect to the deselection of data for inclusion in the proof, a second example of a proof layout web page is shown in Figure 11. In the example of Figure 11, check box 488 has been deselected, removing the email address of Cathy Curry from the proof. In this manner, even though the data of Ms. Curry's email address may be correct, the email address will not be included in the print job of Ms. Curry's business card. After modifying the format of the proof at step 474, the customer saves the changes to the format of the proof at step 476. Once the data and the format of the proof are correct, the customer can approve the proof at step 482 by selecting the Approve button 490 of Figure 11.

Once the job is approved by the customer, processing of the print job proceeds to the receipt of order information for the print job at step 479. The process of entering the order information for the job is described in more detail with respect to Figure 12. After the order information for the print job is provided at step 479, the system determines at step 481 whether additional print jobs for the selected template are in the job queue. If more print jobs are in the queue for the selected template, processing continues at step 483 with the selection of the next print job and the determination of the correctness of the data of the next print job at step 470. If no print jobs remain in the print queue for the selected template, the process is restarted at step 485, and the user may choose another template for creating and ordering other print jobs.

Shown in Figure 12 is a flow diagram of the order process following the approval by the customer of a job layout. The order completion process will involve the approval by the customer of quantity, turnaround time, and shipping information. The online ordering system will in the first instance attempt to populate the quantity and turnaround time fields with the quantity and turnaround values from the previously ordered job. The quantity value specifies the number of units of the job that are to be printed and the turnaround time value specifies the due date for receipt by the customer of the completed print job. At step 493, the system determines whether previous value exist for quantity and turnaround time. If previous values for quantity and turnaround time do exist from a previous job, those values are entered by the system. Shown in Figure 13 is an example of an order process web page depicting a dialog box 510 for the entry of turnaround time information in field 514 and quantity information in field 516. If previous values do not exist, such as when the current job is the first job being processed by the customer as part of the customer's current session with the system, the system proceeds to step 497, at which point the system determines whether a shipment

address is in the data record that is being used for the current job. If it is determined at step 497 that the data record includes an address, the system at step 499 populates the shipping fields of the Ship To dialog box 508 with the address. In the example of Figure 13, the address information for the data record for John Barker is entered in the address fields of dialog box 508. If the data record does not include an address, the processing of the order information continues with steps 494 and 496, where the customer is given the option of editing the quantity, turnaround time, and shipping fields. The user may correct any default information entered by the system at steps 495 or 499 or enter information in the space of blank fields if default values were not entered by the system.

Once the Ship To information and the Job Information have been entered, the user at step 498 submits the job by selecting a Submit button in the Order web page. The print job order system then checks the order information at step 500 to make certain that no items are missing. If it is determined at step 502 that items are missing, the user is prompted at step 506 to enter the missing information. If no items are missing, the job is submitted at step 504 for printing and shipment to the customer at the address specified by the customer. The print job may next be transmitted for printing to a commercial printer who can fulfill the customer's order according to the number of units requested and the time allotted by the customer. In some cases, preference will be given to commercial printers who are in the same geographic area as the customer or who have previously worked with the customer on a satisfactory basis.

A diagram of the entire print order process is shown in Figure 14. At step 520, the customer chooses a template. After the selection of a template, the customer chooses the records that are to be used to populate the dynamic data fields of the template. At step 524, a proof is generated, as shown by the bi-directional arrows connecting step 522 (choosing of records) and step 524 (proofing of jobs); the steps of choosing records and proof jobs can be repeated a number of times depending on the correctness of the proof and the number of records selected. After the review of the proof, the process continues with the entry of order information at step 526. A user may loop back from the entry of order information to the approval of a proof according to the number of print jobs in the print queue.

Following the receipt of a number of jobs, a print administrator associated with the printing clearinghouse can gang or group a set of jobs together for printing. The print administrator can be located physically at the offices of the print clearinghouse, or the print

administrator may be located at a remote location. The print administrator can access the print server through a standard Internet connection. Shown in Figure 15 is a flow diagram of the process of ganging print jobs. At step 601, the printing clearinghouse identifies the jobs that are pending and available for printing. Those jobs that are pending and available for printing are completed print orders that have been submitted by the customer for printing. On occasion, a customer will complete a print order, but will not submit the printing order for printing. In such a case, the customer may prefer to submit the printing order at a later date.

If the customer has not submitted the print job for printing, the print clearinghouse will not identify the job to the administrator as a job eligible for grouping.

The ganging or grouping process involves the selection of jobs, the arrangement of those jobs on a sheet layout, and the generation of an output file according to a set of output controls. The ganging process described can be conducted by an administrator or can be conducted automatically according to a set of predefined parameters and grouping criteria. If the grouping process is to be performed by an administrator of the print clearinghouse, the administrator need only access the web site of the clearinghouse through a standard Internet connection. Once the administrator has accessed the web site and has logged on to the site as an administrator, the administrator can view a set of submitted jobs for a particular customer that are ready to be grouped for submission to a printer. At step 602 of Figure 15, the administrator can run a search to locate a set of jobs that meet search criteria selected by the administrator. Shown in Figure 16 is a screen view of web page 620 depicting a Search dialog box 622 and Search Results 624. The administrator can search for jobs according to one of several criteria identified in the Search dialog box 622, including Job Number, Date Submitted, Quantity, Template, and Status. In the example of Figure 16, the administrator has searched by Template and Status. More specifically, the administrator has searched for all Approved jobs using the C2 Media Standard Business Card template. According to the results of the search in Search Results box 624, nine Approved jobs have been submitted using the C2 Media Standard Business Card template. To the right of each job is an Output Approval box 626. Following the return of the results of the search, the administrator can select the jobs for grouping at step 604 of Figure 15 by checking the Output Approval box 626 in Figure 16. By checking Output Approval box 626, the administrator indicates that the selected job or jobs are to be further processed for eventual grouping on a sheet layout.

After the submitted jobs have been selected by the administrator for grouping, the process of dynamically grouping the selected, submitted print jobs continues at step 606 of Figure 15 with the selection and modification of a sheet layout. Shown in Figure 17 is a screen view of web page 640. Included in web page 640 is a preview 642 of the sheet layout and a Sheet Layout dialog box 644. The number of template locations 643 on sheet layout 642 is determined by the predefined sheet layout parameters selected by the customer and the modifications to the sheet layout made by the customer. The administrator may select the drop down menu 646 to access predefined sheet layouts. In the example of Figure 17, the administrator has selected the predefined sheet layout"i-queue 3 x 6"The characteristics and dimension of the selected sheet layout may be modified by adjusting any of the controls in the lower half of the Sheet Layout dialog box 644. Once modified, the sheet layout may be saved as a modification to the selected sheet layout or the modified sheet layout may be saved as a new sheet layout.

Web page 640 includes a number of controls that can manipulate the selected sheet layout. The Trim Width box 648 reflects the width of each of template location 643, and the Trim Height box 650 reflects the height of each template location 643. The Sheet Width box 652 and the Sheet Height box 654 reflect the width and height, respectively, of the sheet layout itself. The Gang Across box 656 specifies the number of templates in each row of the sheet layout, and the Gang Down box 658 identifies the number of templates locations in each column of the sheet layout. The Outer Margin box 660 specifies the outer margin of the sheet layout, and the Marks Offset box 662 specifies the distance from the"live image"area, or area containing the trimmed templates, at which the printing marks will be placed. The Gutter Box 664 specifies the size of the gutter between each of the template locations 643.

An adjustment by the administrator of the data in one of the sheet layout control dialog boxes may result in a corresponding adjustment in the data of one or more of the other dialog boxes.

For example, if the value in Gang Across box 656 is increased, the Sheet Width will be automatically and correspondingly increased to reflect the increased width of the printed sheet. Similarly, if the Gang Down value is increased, the value of the Sheet Height will be increased correspondingly. After the administrator has adjusted the sheet layout, the administrator can proceed to the step of selecting the output controls by selecting the"Output controls"link in the upper left-hand corner of the web page 640.

Following the selection and adjustment of the sheet layout, dynamic grouping of submitted print jobs continues at step 608 in Figure 15 with the selection of output controls.

Shown in Figure 8 is an output controls web page 676. Shown in web page 676 is a preview of the ganged sheet layout in which the content of the jobs in the sheet layout have been arranged according to the output controls to the left of sheet layout 670 in web page 676.

Below sheet layout 670 is a tool bar 668 for adjusting the view of sheet layout 670. If sheet layout 670 includes more than one sheet, such as when the jobs cannot be economically or logically accommodated on a single sheet, the user can move between sheets by use of the tool bar 668.

In the left-hand side of web page 672 are a set of Type output controls 672 and Options output controls 674. The Type controls 672 govern the form of the content that is to be printed. The three content types identified are Composite, Imprint Only, and Separations.

The Separations type is used in the case of color printing. In the case of the C2 Media Standard Business Card of Figure 18, for example, the possible color separations are Black and C2red. Selecting the Separations option gives the user the option of a job whose content includes only the Black layout elements or the C2red layout elements. Selection of Imprint Only option limits the layout elements to those that are identified as being imprint elements.

The Imprint Only option differs from the Separations option in that Imprint Only option may be considered, at least in some cases, as a subset of the Separations option. As an example, in the case of a two color business card having a black and red logo and black custom text, the black custom text may be identified as the imprint elements of the business card. Selection of the Imprint Only option causes the sheet layout to display only the black custom text. In this example, the sheet layout does not display the logo, even though portions of the logo are in black. Selection of the Composite option results in a print job that includes all color, imprinted, and pre-printed materials.

In the example of Figure 18, the composite option has been selected. As a result, sheet layout 670 includes all imprint, pre-printed, and color content. The Options output controls 674 govern the manner in which the selected print jobs are grouped and displayed on the sheet layout. Selecting the option Sheet Marks results in the display of the printer's marks on the sheet layout 670. In the example of Figure 18, the Sheet Marks option has been selected, and the printer's sheet marks are shown on sheet layout 670. The selection of the option One Job Per Sheet results in the placement on only one job on each sheet of the sheet

layout. If nine jobs were selected, for example, the sheet layout would have a total of nine sheets, with each sheet having one or more reproductions of a unique job. Selection of the option Fill Sheet causes the system to fill all of the template locations of sheet layout 670 according to a predetermined grouping criteria. If the option One Job Per Sheet has been selected, then the selection of the option Fill Sheet will result in the application of a single job to each page of the sheet layout 670, and each template location on each page will be filled with the unique job assigned to the page. As an example, if nine jobs and a 3 x 6 layout have been selected, each job will be assigned to one of the nine sheets of the sheet layout, and the job assigned to a particular sheet of the sheet layout will occupy all eighteen template locations of the sheet layout.

If the option One Job Per Sheet is not selected and the option Fill Sheet is selected, then more than one unique job can be placed on templates of a sheet in the sheet layout. In this case, a different job grouping methodology or criteria may be used for arranging the jobs in the template locations of each sheet in the sheet layout. An example of a suitable grouping criteria includes the step of evaluating whether the number of available template locations (eighteen in the selected sheet layout of Figure 18) is a multiple of the number of jobs selected (such as the nine jobs selected in the example of Figure 16). If the number of available printing slots is a multiple of the number of jobs selected, the number of available printing slots is divided by the number of jobs selected, and the result of this division operation is the number of times that each job will be displayed on the first and only sheet of the sheet layout. In the example of Figures 16-18, each job will be displayed on the single sheet of the sheet layout two times. Thus, if 250 copies of each job are required, 125 sheets will have to be printed. If the number of available printing slots is not a multiple of the number of jobs selected, the number of jobs selected is decremented until the number of jobs selected is a multiple of the number of available print slots in the sheet layout. As an example, if the sheet layout contains eighteen print slots and eighteen print jobs are selected, eighteen is not a multiple of eight. Decrementing the number of jobs, it is known that eighteen is a multiple of six. Thus, the first sheet of the sheet layout will consist of the first six jobs, each appearing three times on the sheet layout. It is next determined whether the number of remaining jobs (two in this case) is a multiple of the number of template locations in the sheet layout. In this example, two jobs have not yet been arranged in the sheet layout.

Because eighteen is a multiple of two, each job is placed on the second page of the sheet

layout nine times. If 300 copies are requested of each of the eight jobs in this example, the first sheet of the sheet layout need only be run 100 times, and the second sheet of the sheet layout need only be run 34 times.

After the selection of the sheet output controls at step 608 of Figure 15, processing of the ganged print jobs continues at steps 608 and 610 with the creation of a PDF file and a PostScriptO file of the page or pages of the sheet layout. PostScripte and PDF files are selected as output formats because the formats are portable, are supported by a number of other applications, and are recognized and supported by a number of commercial printers.

Any other suitable portable document format may be used. At step 614, the files are transmitted to a commercial printer for printing according to the quantity selected by the customer and the grouping or ganging of the jobs selected by the administrator. Following the commercial printer's receipt of the post-processing file, the commercial printer may edit the sheet layout of the file, if necessary, to adjust the physical dimensions of the press sheet to meet the commercial printer's precise printer specifications. The transmission to the commercial printer may occur by any suitable form of electronic transmission, including an electronic transmission via the Internet. As an alternative to transmitting the print job to a commercial printer, it should be recognized that the print clearinghouse may itself provide the printing service.

As an alternative to grouping print jobs by an administrator at a time of the administrator's choosing, jobs may be grouped periodically according to a predefined set of parameters that governs the time that the jobs are to be grouped, the type of jobs that are to be grouped, and the name and location of the commercial printer. Shown in Figure 18 is a web page 700 depicting the current automatic ganging settings for a customer of the online print clearinghouse. Each set of instructions for automatic grouping is given an Output Profile 702. Each Output Profile 702 includes an identification of the Template 703, Sheet Master 704, Output Type 706, Customer Service Representative 708, Producer or printer 710, Producer's FTP server 712, minimum number of submitted jobs 714, maximum number of submitted jobs 716, the current number of submitted jobs 718, minimum number of hours since the previous grouping 720, maximum number of hours since previous grouping 722, hours since the last grouping 724, time of the last grouping 726, and the scheduled time, if any, of the next grouping 728.

The Template column 703 identifies the template of the jobs in Output Profile. In the first example on web page 700, the template for the jobs in the Output Profile is the C2 Media Standard Business Card template. Sheet Master column 704 identifies the predefined sheet layout that is to be used as the sheet layout for the grouping of the print jobs. Here, the C2 2 x 2 layout is identified in the first example. The Output Type column 706 identifies the content type of the print job. In both examples of web page 700, composite sheet layouts are selected. The CSR column 708 identifies the customer service representative for the print customer. Producer column 710 identifies the printer who has been selected to print the job, and FTP server column 712 is the FTP server of the Producer. Column 714 identifies the minimum number of submitted jobs that may be grouped according to an automated grouping procedure. Column 716 identifies the maximum number of submitted jobs that may exist before the automated grouping procedure is initiated. Thus, if the number of submitted jobs for a particular customer and sheet template reaches the number shown in column 716, automated grouping of the jobs is initiated regardless of the time since the last grouping of submitted jobs. Column 718 identifies the number of jobs that are in a state of having been submitted but not having been grouped for printing.

Column 720 identifies the minimum number of hours permitted between groupings, and column 722 identifies the maximum number of hours between the automated grouping of jobs. Thus, if the maximum number of hours has been reached, the jobs are grouped. As an alternative, the automated grouping process may be configured such that the jobs are grouped when the elapsed time has reached the maximum number of hours between groupings of column 722 irrespective of the number of jobs to be grouped. In the example of the first Output Profile of Figure 18, the minimum number of hours between groupings has not been specified. As a result, no grouping runs have been scheduled. Column 724 identifies the number of hours since the previous grouping. Column 726 shows the time of the last grouping run, and column 728 shows the time of any scheduled grouping runs.

When the maximum number of jobs is reached (column 716), when the maximum time since the previous grouping is reached (column 722), or when the time of a schedule grouping is reached, the system automatically groups the jobs without administrator assistance according to the Output Profile and a suitable grouping criteria, such as the grouping methodology outlined above for One Job Per Sheet and Fill Sheet options for jobs having similar or dissimilar quantities. Following the grouping of the jobs and the creation of

a sheet layout, the sheet layout is converted to a portable file format and transmitted electronically to the Producer via the identified FTP server. In this manner, the grouping of print jobs for a particular customer and template is automated according to an established Output Profile and a set of predetermined criteria for arranging the print jobs on one or more sheets of the sheet layout. The automated job ganging process allows the customization of the time, time interval, or quantity for the grouping of jobs. As an example, the grouping of jobs for a particular customer template may be done at the same time each day or week.

Because the administrator may access the print clearinghouse through the Internet or some other suitable communications network, the administrator of the printing clearinghouse need not be located near the commercial printer. As an example, the customers of the printing clearinghouse may be located in Los Angeles, and may submit jobs to the printing clearinghouse, which has an office in Denver. A print administrator of the printing clearinghouse, who is stationed in London, may access the system to gang the customer's jobs and prepare the jobs to be printed by a printer in Atlanta, who has experience in and special expertise with the customer's print jobs. Because the system of the present invention allows for the ganging of portable jobs through a distributed network, the process of collecting print and grouping print jobs is simplified. The method and system of the present invention permits the ganging and grouping of print jobs without reference to the location of the customer, printing clearinghouse, print administrator, or commercial printer.

As an alternative to transmitting the sheet layout file to a commercial printer for immediate printing, the clearinghouse may choose, at the customer's instruction, to save the file for printing at a later date. As another alternative to the immediate printing of the ganged print jobs, the sheet layout file may be forwarded to the printing customer, who can later forward the sheet layout file to a commercial printer of the customer's choosing.

The dynamic ganging tool of the present invention allows a print clearinghouse or other central print job aggregator to dynamically gang a number of jobs prior to the preparation of the press sheet. In this manner, a sheet layout may be manipulated prior to printing to determine the optimum layout of the press sheet. The job grouping process described herein permits the creation and dynamic adjustment of sheet layout files in which jobs are grouped on the sheet layout in a manner that reduces printing costs. The dynamic and automated nature of the process permits the ganging of print jobs in a manner that obviates the previously laborious tasks of creating a press sheet having template locations of

one or more unique print jobs. According to this technique, job grouping is accomplished quickly and easily, while affording to the administrator flexibility in determining the precise arrangement of jobs in the sheet layout. The process described herein is scalable in that it operates independently of the number of jobs or the type of jobs to be grouped. Because the grouping process occurs electronically and produces, as an output, a file in a portable file format, the job grouping process can handle many jobs as easily as the process can handle a single job, and can handle business cards as easily as large-size posters.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.