Apparatus and method for production of transaction cards

Abstract

A method for producing transaction cards corresponding to an account of a customer and bearing an image defined by said customer comprises associating an optically-readable identifier with a customer-defined image to be applied to the transaction card. The optical identifier can be read to reconcile it with a corresponding identifier related to customer account information to be applied to the transaction card. In this way a card may be produced bearing the image defined by the customer and the customer's account information.

1 . A method for applying a customer-defined image to a product at a location remote from the customer defining the image, the method comprising:
 providing an internet browser-based interface for defining manipulations to an image to be applied to a product;   using said interface to select an image corresponding to image data and capturing information about manipulations to be applied to said image data;   sending said image data and the captured information on manipulations to a remote image processing engine;   performing the manipulations on said image data based on said manipulation information; and   applying the manipulated image to a product.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the customer has generated said customer-defined image. 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the customer has manipulated said customer-defined image. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the customer has selected said customer-defined image. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in any of  claim 1  or  4 , wherein the customer-defined image is selected by a customer from an available collection of images. 
     
     
         6 . A method as in any of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein said customer-defined image is uploaded by a customer by means of the internet. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to any of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein said customer-defined image can be manipulated in relation to a template displaying one or more non-manipulatable card features.