System and method for generating customized and/or personalized documents

Abstract

A system and method for rapidly customizing and printing documents is disclosed. The system supports product lines having a plurality of customizable products therein, through the use of a single Web page that is continually updated in a data-driven fashion. The system is robust, easily expandable, and quickly deployable across a plurality of user platforms and geographic locations. Methods of the invention disclosed herein enable users to perform customization projects and to print the documents created thereby, either at a remote printer such as at a document factory, or at the user's own, local printer.

1 - 26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . A method of allowing a user to select a printable product from a menu of possible products, tailor the chosen product according to the user's personal preferences, and view the tailored product on a computer display before the tailored product is created and printed at a user's workstation, the method allowing for easy updating and maintaining a selection of printable products available to a user without a need to change an executable software application program, the method comprising: 
 presenting on a computer screen a list of available printable, customizable products and receiving from a user in response thereto a product selection defining a user's selected printable product;    retrieving product data from at least one non-executable data file according to the user's product selection;    presenting on the computer screen a plurality of fields for the user to input product tailoring information, the fields being determined by the product data within the non-executable data file;    presenting on the computer screen a preview of the user's selected printable product, the product being customized and reflective of the product data retrieved from the non-executable data file and the product tailoring information input by the user;    generating an output file; and    printing a customized document corresponding to the customized, printable product on a printer at the user's workstation;    wherein the non-executable data files are selected from the group consisting of binary files, Java Beans™, and XML files; and    wherein the computer screen displays a world wide web page.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the data file further includes default product tailoring information.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the default tailoring information contains default graphics.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the default tailoring information contains default text.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the available products include: 
 a first group of products, the first group of products all having a common SKU number but different default tailoring information; and    a second group of products which may include a member of the first group of products, the second group of products having different SKU numbers.    
   
   
       32 . A method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the product comprises one of the group constituting invitations, business cards, posters, point-of-sale displays, advertising materials, coupons, event announcements, and stationary.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the computer screen displays simultaneously the plurality of fields and the product preview illustrating the product tailored according to the product tailoring information input by the user.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 27  wherein information within the non-executable data file completely controls which fields will be presented to the user for tailoring the user's selected product.  
   
   
       35 . A computer readable media capable of causing a general purpose computer to implement the method of  claim 27 .  
   
   
       36 . A method of allowing a user to select a customizable, printable product from a menu of possible products, tailor the chosen product according to the user's personal preferences, and view the tailored product on a computer display before the tailored product is created, the method allowing for easy updating and maintaining a selection of products available to a user without a need to change an executable software application program, the method comprising: 
 presenting on a computer screen a list of available printable products and receiving from a user in response thereto a product selection defining a user's selected product;    retrieving product data from at least one non-executable data file according to the user's printable product selection;    presenting on the computer screen a plurality of fields for the user to input printable product tailoring information, the fields being determined by the product data within the non-executable data file;    presenting on the computer screen a preview of the user's selected printable product, the product being reflective of product data retrieved from the non-executable data file and product tailoring information input by the user;    wherein the data file further includes default product tailoring information, the default tailoring information containing at least one of default graphics and default text; and    wherein the non-executable data files are selected from the group consisting of binary files, Java Beans™, and XML files, and the computer screen displays a world wide web page, the computer screen displaying simultaneously the plurality of fields and the product preview illustrating the product tailored according to the product tailoring information input by the user.    
   
   
       37 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein the method further comprises, after the step of presenting on the computer screen a preview of the user's selected printable product, the step of printing the printable paper product in a printer at a user's workstation.  
   
   
       38 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein the paper product comprises one of the group constituting invitations, business cards, posters, point-of-sale displays, advertising materials, coupons, event announcements, labels, and stationary.  
   
   
       39 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein the printable product comprises printable paper.  
   
   
       40 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein the available products include a first group of products, the first group of products all having a common SKU number but different default tailoring information, and a second group of products which may include a member of the first group of products, the second group of products having different SKU numbers.  
   
   
       41 . A method as defined n  claim 36 , wherein information within the non-executable data file determines at least one field to be presented to the user for tailoring the user's selected printable product.  
   
   
       42 . A method of allowing a user to select a customizable, printable product from a menu of possible products, tailor the chosen product according to the user's personal preferences, and view the tailored product on a computer display before the tailored product is created, the method allowing for easy updating and maintaining a selection of products available to a user without a need to change an executable software application program, the method comprising: 
 presenting on a computer screen a list of available printable products and receiving from a user in response thereto a product selection defining a user's selected product;    retrieving product data from at least one non-executable data file according to the user's printable product selection;    presenting on the computer screen a plurality of fields for the user to input printable product tailoring information, the fields being determined by the product data within the non-executable data file;    presenting on the computer screen a preview of the user's selected printable product, the product being reflective of product data retrieved from the non-executable data file and product tailoring information input by the user;    wherein the data file further includes default product tailoring information;    wherein the non-executable data files are selected from the group consisting of binary files, Java Beans™, and XML files, and the computer screen displays a world wide web page, the computer screen displaying simultaneously the plurality of fields and the product preview illustrating the product tailored according to the product tailoring information input by the user; and    wherein information within the non-executable data file controls which fields will be presented to the user for tailoring the user's selected printable product.    
   
   
       43 . A method as defined in  claim 42 , wherein the default tailoring information includes at least one of default graphics and default text.  
   
   
       44 . A method as defined in  claim 43 , wherein the available products include a first group of products, the first group of products all having a common SKU number but different default tailoring information, and a second group of products which may include a member of the first group of products, the second group of products having different SKU numbers.