Multi-Purpose Forms

Abstract

A printable and imprintable multi-purpose form is described that features detachable components including a correspondence piece, such as a greeting card, and a scrip, such as a gift card. The correspondence piece can be a greeting card or a post card. The scrip can be any non-monetary certificate exchangeable for currency, goods, or services including, for example, a gift card or a gift certificate. The detachable components can also include an envelope piece having multiple leafs and adhesive areas for folding and assembling into an envelope. The assembled envelope can be used to mail the correspondence piece and scrip from a giftor to a giftee. The form can be used in conjunction with a website and software to customize the detachable components for imprinting using a printer and to create a virtual e-card that includes customizations corresponding to the user's customizations of the multi-purpose form.

1 . A multi-purpose form comprising a single sheet, the sheet comprising:
 at least two detachable components, the at least two detachable components comprising:
 a correspondence piece; and 
 a scrip. 
   
     
     
         2 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet further comprises a frame to which the at least two detachable components are attached and are detachable therefrom. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the correspondence piece comprises a greeting card. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the correspondence piece comprises a post card. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two detachable components further comprises at least one customizable component on which a photograph can be imprinted to create a wallet-size photograph capable of fitting into a wallet. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two detachable components further comprises an envelope piece. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 6 , wherein the envelope piece a plurality of foldable leafs and adhesive areas for use in assembling the envelope piece into an envelope. 
     
     
         8 . The multi purpose form of  claim 7 , wherein the envelope piece further comprises one of the plurality of foldable leafs being an envelope lid and an adhesive area on one surface of the envelope lid for use in sealing the envelope. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the scrip comprises a gift card. 
     
     
         10 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the scrip comprises a gift certificate. 
     
     
         11 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the scrip comprises a coupon. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the scrip comprises any non-monetary certificate that is redeemable for currency, goods, or services of value. 
     
     
         13 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises lines of separation from which the detachable components can be separated. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 13 , wherein the lines of separation comprise perforations. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises a first surface, a second surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side edges. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 15 , wherein the sheet comprises pre-printed information printed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface. 
     
     
         17 . The multi purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two detachable components comprises customizable spaces on which a user may imprint or affix the user's own customizations. 
     
     
         18 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 17 , wherein the customizations comprise at least one imprinted, written, drawn, embossed, or affixed item selected from the group consisting of: text, an image, a symbol, a label, and a stamp. 
     
     
         19 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 6 , wherein the sheet further comprises a postage stamp that can be affixed to the envelope as postage paid for mailing the envelope and its contents. 
     
     
         20 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 17 , wherein the customizations are imprintable by the user using a software program and a printer. 
     
     
         21 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 20 , wherein the software program is installed on a computer. 
     
     
         22 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 20 , wherein the software program is accessible on a remote server via a communications network. 
     
     
         23 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 20 , wherein the software program comprises a computer-generated version of each sheet of the multi-purpose form. 
     
     
         24 . The multi purpose form of  claim 23 , wherein each multi-purpose form comprises a form identification number that uniquely identifies the multi-purpose form. 
     
     
         25 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 24 , wherein the software program is accessible via a website and the website comprises a data field in which the form identification number on the multi-purpose form can be entered by the user and transmitted through the website to permit the software program to populate the computer-generated version of each sheet of the multi-purpose form with personal information related to the user that is stored on a remote database. 
     
     
         26 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-purpose form comprises a plurality of sheets, each sheet comprising at least two detachable components. 
     
     
         27 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of multi-purpose forms are packaged into a single pack for distribution to a user. 
     
     
         28 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 27 , wherein the packaged plurality of multi-purpose forms comprise a flat package that is no less than about 6 inches wide by about 5 inches long with about 0.125-inch radius rounded corners, no more than about 0.75 inches in thickness from any edge of the package, and is flexible enough so that the package is capable of bending one inch from any edge without effecting the contents inside the package, and wherein the package comprises a uniform thickness so that any bumps, protrusions, or other irregularities do not cause more than about one-quarter of an inch in variance in the thickness of the package. 
     
     
         29 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the single sheet comprises two plies of paper adhered together. 
     
     
         30 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the single sheet comprises three plies of paper adhered together. 
     
     
         31 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the single sheet comprises more than one ply of paper adhered together. 
     
     
         32 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 31 , wherein an envelope comprising a pocket is formed between two of the plies of paper. 
     
     
         33 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two detachable components comprises one or more product stamps. 
     
     
         34 . The multi purpose form of  claim 33 , wherein the one or more product stamps each comprise a gift representation. 
     
     
         35 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 34 , wherein the gift representation comprises a visual or textual description of a gift item or gift service for gifting by a giftor to a giftee. 
     
     
         36 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 1 , wherein the detachable components further comprise a coupon. 
     
     
         37 . A multi-purpose form comprising a single sheet, the sheet comprising:
 at least one detachable component, the at least one detachable component comprising an envelope piece.   
     
     
         38 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 37 , wherein the envelope piece comprises a plurality of leafs and adhesive areas capable of being assembled to create an envelope. 
     
     
         39 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 37 , wherein the sheet comprises at least two plies and the envelope piece comprises a fully assembled envelope that is detachable from the sheet. 
     
     
         40 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 39 , wherein the envelope comprises a pocket formed in a space between the two plies of the sheet, the two plies being adhered together on three sides. 
     
     
         41 . A multi-purpose form comprising at least one sheet, wherein the at least one sheet comprises at least one detachable component and a form identification number, and wherein the form identification number is capable of being entered into software as input data to allow the software to configure output data for imprinting on the multi-purpose form by a printer. 
     
     
         42 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 41 , wherein the software comprises a website that is accessible via a communications network. 
     
     
         43 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 41 , wherein the output data comprises text, graphics, or images. 
     
     
         44 . The multi-purpose form of  claim 41 , wherein the at least one detachable component comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of: a correspondence piece, a scrip, an envelope piece, an envelope, a product stamp, a postage stamp, a coupon, a register, a business card, and a customizable component. 
     
     
         45 . A method for using a multi-purpose form, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an imprintable multi-purpose form comprising a form identification number printed thereon and customizable spaces;   (b) entering as a first input the form identification number into a data field of a website;   (c) transmitting the form identification number through the website to a remote server via a communications network;   (d) using a software program installed on the remote server, associating the transmitted form identification number with a corresponding computer-generated version of the multi-purpose form stored on the remote server;   (e) displaying the computer-generated version of the multi-purpose form via the website on a display screen of a computer, wherein the computer-generated version of the multi-purpose form comprises computer-generated customizable spaces;   (f) selecting data via the website to be added to the computer-generated customizable spaces to customize the computer-generated version of the multi-purpose form;   (g) populating the computer-generated customizable spaces with the data selected via the website; and   (h) imprinting the data added to the computer-generated customizable spaces on the customizable spaces of the multi-purpose form using a printer.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the method provides a plurality of multi-purpose forms, wherein all multi-purpose forms that are identical comprise the same form identification number printed thereon and multi-purpose forms that are different comprise different form identification numbers. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein each multi-purpose form comprises two or more sheets, and wherein all sheets that are identical comprise the same form identification number printed thereon and sheets that are different comprise different form identification numbers. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the method provides a plurality of multi-purpose forms, and wherein each of the plurality of multi-purpose forms comprises its own unique form identification number. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein data comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of: text, a symbol, an image, a photograph, personal information of a user, and personal information of a person other than the user. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising the steps of:
 (i) requiring a user to log into the website prior to entering the form identification number as a first input;   (j) associating the user's account with personal information compiled in a database; and   (k) using the user's personal information to populate the computer-generated customizable spaces with data that is imprintable on the customizable spaces of the multi-purpose form.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising the step of:
 (l) uploading data to the website that is used to populate the computer-generated customizable spaces for imprinting on the customizable spaces of the multi-purpose form.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising the step of:
 (m) adjusting the printer's settings based upon the form identification number entered into the website so as to optimize the printer for imprinting onto the customizable spaces of the multi-purpose form.   
     
     
         53 . A method for delivering a correspondence piece from a user to a recipient, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a website accessible via a communications network through which a user registers for an account by providing personal information related to the user that is stored in a remote database communicatively connected to the website;   (b) requiring the user to log into the user's account on the web site upon each visit to the website so as to relate the user using the website to the user's personal information in the database;   (c) providing a plurality of virtual e-cards from which the user can select a user-selected virtual e-card for delivery to a recipient;   (d) providing software program tools on the website that permit the user to create computer-generated customizations that are added to the user-selected virtual e-card;   (e) providing a multi-purpose form comprising a form identification number printed thereon and customizable spaces;   (f) entering as a first input the form identification number into a data field of the website;   (g) transmitting the form identification number through the website to the remote server via the communications network;   (h) using a software program installed on the remote server, associating the transmitted form identification number with imprinting instructions optimized for the multi-purpose form associated with the form identification number entered into the website and transmitted by the user;   (i) imprinting the computer-generated customizations added to the user-selected virtual e-card onto the multi-purpose form, wherein the multi-purpose form comprises at least one detachable component comprising a correspondence piece;   (j) physically delivering the correspondence piece to the recipient;   (k) electronically delivering the virtual e-card to the recipient.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the at least one detachable component further comprises a scrip that is imprintable and deliverable to the recipient. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising the step of:
 (l) funding the scrip by authorizing the transfer of funds via the website.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the virtual e-card further comprises a virtual scrip that is fundable via the website and transmittable electronically.