Computerized prepress

Abstract

Computerized prepress is disclosed. In one embodiment, a computerized prepress system includes three components: a server, a client and a printer. The server has stored thereon an authoring program to create a document, and a translation program to translate the document to a suitable prepress format. The client downloads the authoring program from the server to create the document, and then uploads the document to the server for a translation to the suitable prepress format from the server.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to print and print-publishing prepress, and more particularly to such prepress that is computerized. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The publishing process typically requires several steps to successfully complete a printed publication. Such steps include planning and organizing, design and content development, and prepress tasks where electronic files are prepared to be reproduced with ink on paper. Broadly speaking, prepress involves the preparation of all the electronic files that will be utilized to create a publication printed with paper and ink. For a professional publication, this usually involves utilizing an authoring program to create the electronic version of the publication itself, and then using another program (which may be a component of the authoring program), to translate this electronic version into a format from which paper and ink copies of the publication can be printed. [0003] Portions if not all...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The invention thus provides for several advantages. The user at the client does not need to know anything about the prepress format required by the printer. Since the server stores the authoring program that is then downloaded to the client for creation of a document, the server can maintain the authoring program such that it knows both the format to which the authoring program saves the document, and the format to which the document must be translated for printing at the printer. Furthermore, the authoring program stored at the server may be as simple as necessary for novice users to comfortably use, or as powerful as necessary for experienced users to use. The professional user benefits from the tight integration of the invention, in that the professional user need only be concerned with creating the document, and not the manner by which the document will ultimately be printed with paper and ink, which may already be preselected within the server.

Problems solved by technology

Portions if not all of the prepress process is difficult for non-professionals to accomplish, however.

While tools such as Adobe PageMaker and Quark Express enable professionals to more easily create professional-looking documents, most non-professionals find these computer programs overly complex and difficult to use.

That is, although the computers sitting on the desks of such non-professionals are sufficiently powerful to handle such tasks, the users themselves may not be sufficiently knowledgeable to perform them.

Furthermore, even for experienced professionals, the prepress process is fraught with uncertainty; for example, the professional must know the type of paper and ink output that is desired a priori before translating an electronic version of a document into a format from which paper and ink copies can be printed.

That is, even for experienced professionals, the prepress process is not tightly integrated enough to attain fast, easy and cost-effective print publishing.

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