Abstract:
Systems and methods for automatically associating managed digital images with information produced by a print production system are described. Locating an image for reuse is simplified by searching associations. Utilizing digital image associations during a print production process ensures that print jobs are processed reliably, efficiently and accurately.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The benefit of U.S. application No. 60/611,305 filed on 21 Sep. 2004 is claimed herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This invention pertains to producing printed matter. More specifically the invention relates to processing digital assets during print production to improve creative and print production processes.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Digital asset management systems are known in the prior art. They provide facilities for storing digital assets such as digital images or other creative works that might be reused. Stored assets produced for one set of printed matter can be reused for printed matter produced later. Locating an asset for reuse is typically aided by associating information with it (e.g. the publication name and edition, the publication date, or the creative artist). Prior art provides manual methods for associating information with assets. Manually associated information is problematic because creating it is time consuming and error prone.  
         [0004]     Print production systems are known in the prior art. They provide the means for producing printed matter or the precursors of printed matter along with information about the printing process. Linking print production systems with digital asset management systems is known in the prior art where a print production system obtains a referenced asset (e.g. a digital image) from the digital asset management system.  
         [0005]     Prior art also shows print production jobs utilizing assets that are stored somewhere other than in a linked digital asset management system. Specifically, assets can be included in creative works submitted for printing or can be stored in an accessible file system. A printer may want to register digital images obtained in this manner with a digital asset management system so that they may be more easily reused. Prior art teaches manual registration of these images.  
         [0006]     In other prior art scenarios, a digital image may be stored in a digital asset management system but submitted creative works reference a duplicate digital image stored outside the digital asset management system. It would be advantageous to recognize the duplication and utilize the digital image stored in the digital asset management system.  
         [0007]     Developers of creative works can produce works for multiple customers. Prior art print production systems can inadvertently use digital assets belonging to one customer in the work belonging to another customer unless these systems include information and methods for checking this.  
         [0008]     Additionally, the creative process is often iterative with multiple revisions of an asset being produced. Prior art systems can inadvertently use the wrong revision of an asset unless the systems include information and methods for tracking and checking revisions. Thus, there are number of aspects of prior art systems and methods that can be improved upon.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     This invention provides systems and methods for improving the utilization of digital assets (e.g. digital images) in creative and print production processes. This is mainly accomplished by automatically creating associations between printing information, generated as a result of a print production process, and digital assets utilized during the process. In subsequent processes, a digital asset may be more easily located for reuse by exploiting these associations. Advantageous improvements to print production processes are also achieved by a better integration between print production and asset management systems.  
         [0010]     Preferred embodiments are based on a client/server software architecture with components, located on different computer systems, communicating using a network. A system according to one embodiment of the invention includes:  
         [0011]     At least one print production software module operative to:  
         [0012]     create printing information as a result of a print production process wherein creating printing information includes creating an association between a printing entity and a digital asset entity;  
         [0013]     add the printing information to a plurality of printing information; and  
         [0014]     communicate with a digital asset software module to store or obtain a digital asset entity;  
         [0015]     At least one printing information store operative to store a plurality of printing information;  
         [0016]     At least one digital asset software module operative to:  
         [0017]     locate a digital asset entity by searching a printing information store for a printing entity associated with the digital asset entity wherein the searching is based on a search criteria;  
         [0018]     provide a software module with a digital asset entity in response to a communication to obtain a digital asset entity; and  
         [0019]     store digital asset associations corresponding to relationships between digital asset entities;  
         [0020]     At least one digital asset store operative to store a plurality of digital asset entities; and  
         [0021]     At least one client software module operative to:  
         [0022]     provide a user with the ability to store a digital asset;  
         [0023]     provide a user with the ability to obtain a digital asset based on a search criteria; and  
         [0024]     communicate with a digital asset software module to store and obtain digital asset entities. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0025]     In drawings which illustrate non-limiting embodiments of the invention:  
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating the functional components of one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a context diagram for refiner software according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart diagram illustrating a method for processing images utilized by a creative input according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating the functional components of a refiner according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a high-level information model according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary information model according to one embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0032]     Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.  
         [0033]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating the components of a printing system according to one embodiment of the invention. This diagram depicts multiple client software  110  modules located at multiple client locations  101 . Client software  110  can be used by an employee, agent, or customer of a printing company that operates a printing system. As an example, client software  110  enables a customer and their agents to collaboratively develop and submit digital creative assets to be printed and then participate in the print production process.  
         [0034]     Creating associations between digital assets, such as images, and information generated as part of a print production process is one novel aspect of this invention. The associations simplify the reuse of digital assets in subsequent creative developments.  
         [0035]     At a client location  101 , client software  110  can be executed on a computer system. In a preferred embodiment, client software  110  executes within a web browser environment. Other environments, including native operating system application program environments, are possible. Client software  110  is capable of communicating with printing information software  120  and digital asset software  150 , each located at a server location  102 , via network  160 C. In some embodiments, client location  101  and server location  102  are the same.  
         [0036]     Printing information software  120  provides client software  110  with an environment to initiate and participate in the production phase of printing. Client software  110  uploads creative works to be printed by print production software  140 , obtains information about the status of the printing process and enables review of and feedback on results of the printing process. Information provided to client software  110  is obtained from at least one printing information store  130 . Printing information software  120  can be configured to communicate with multiple printing information stores  130  to enable information to be segmented. For example, print job information may comprise one segment as it is primarily related to print production software. Information about customers and their users may comprise another segment as it is primarily related to user activity and access restrictions.  
         [0037]     Digital asset software  150  provides client software  110  with an environment to manage digital assets during the creative phase of printing. Digital assets such as documents, illustrations and images are stored in digital asset store  170 . Assets can be organized into libraries of finished works suitable for reuse. Digital asset store  170  can also include other information, including information about entities related to digital assets and information describing these and other relationships. Digital asset software  150  provides client software  110  with facilities to locate digital assets, download them for use or modification, upload them for safekeeping and sharing, and manage their organization. Digital asset software  150  can be configured to communicate with multiple digital asset stores  170  to enable information to be segmented.  
         [0038]     Print production software  140  is responsible for printing jobs. It stores printing information in printing information store  130 . The nature and extent of printing information depends on the embodiment of print production software  140 . Printing information may include information describing printing entities and their relationships, information about how to process a print job, information about processing steps that have occurred, and other information. Print production software  140  is also responsible for creating associations, determined during print job processing, amongst printing entities and digital assets. In a preferred embodiment, print production software  140  includes prepress software, whose scope is to produce printing precursors (e.g. exposed plates) for printing. In other embodiments, print production software  140  can include other software with different scope (e.g. printing press or finishing).  
         [0039]     In preferred embodiments, software modules can be configured to share information stores. This reduces information duplication and improves consistency. For example, access restriction information (e.g. which information is accessible by users) can be shared. As another example, digital asset software  150  can access printing information to facilitate searching for digital assets based on their prior use by print production software  140 .  
         [0040]     In preferred embodiments, software modules can be configured to communicate with each other to facilitate their tasks. As an example, printing information software  120  communicates with print production software  140  to update printing information with review comments or approval. As another example, print production software  140  communicates with digital asset software  150  to request storage of a digital image detected in creative works submitted for printing.  
         [0041]     A server location  102  can comprise one or more computer systems with software and storage modules allocated amongst the computer systems. For example, a single computer system can host all modules. Alternatively, each module can be distributed amongst more than one computer system to balance the processing load. When modules are distributed amongst computer systems, networks  160  facilitate communication between the modules. Distribution amongst multiple server locations  102  is also possible. As an example, printing information software  120 A and digital asset software  150 A reside at location  102 A and are in communication with printing information stores  130 A-B via networks  160 A-B. Similarly, digital asset store  170 A resides at location  102 A and is in communication with print production software  140 A-B. Similarly, client software  110  can also be hosted by a computer system at server location  102 .  
         [0042]     Network  160  can comprise equipment and communication links of a variety of types. Examples include wired or wireless types; and personal, local area or wide area types. A variety of communication protocols can also be utilized.  
         [0043]     In one preferred embodiment of the invention, Prinergy® workflow software available from Creo Inc. of Burnaby, Canada constitutes print production software  140  and components of printing information store  130 . In the same embodiment, Synapse Insite software also available from Creo Inc. of Burnaby, Canada constitutes components of client software  110 , printing information software  120  and components of printing information store  130 . In the same embodiment, digital asset management software from Creo Inc. constitutes components of client software  110 , digital asset software  150  and digital asset store  170 .  
         [0044]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating the operational context for a prepress component of print production software  140  according to one embodiment of the invention. Refiner  210  transforms one or more creative inputs  250 , associated with a print job, into one or more prepress pages  270 . Refiner  210  enables a printer to establish criteria that enhance the quality, efficiency and reliability of the printed result. A creative input  250  that cannot be transformed to meet the criteria may need to be revised and resubmitted. As an example, criteria may limit the resolution of images and the colors specified for printing. Thus, refining is often the first step in the print production process.  
         [0045]     Creative input  250  provides information about one or more pages to be assembled for printing. Creative input  250  can take many forms. For example, creative input  250  can be an electronic file comprising a print description created by executing a print operation in a desktop publishing application. Files of this type may be formatted according to the Adobe® Postscript® or PDF specifications. Other file formats can also be supplied. Creative input  250  supplied as a stream or via other input methods is also within the scope of the invention.  
         [0046]     Creative input  250  may reference other inputs  260  that are supplied as part of a print job or are accessible to the print production software  140 . For example, fonts may be supplied for a print job or may be accessible to all jobs from printing information store  130 . As another example, illustrations and images may also be supplied for a print job as separate files (e.g. encapsulated Postscript™). Similarly, digital image files  230 , previously stored in a file system  220  accessible to print production software  140 , may be referenced by creative input  250 . Similarly, digital images  240 , previously stored in digital asset store  170 , may be referenced by creative input  250 . References to digital images can be made in conformance with Open Prepress Interface (OPI) specifications published by Adobe®.  
         [0047]     Refiner  210  can include multiple processing aspects. For example, one aspect can involve conversion to a normalized format (e.g. PDF). Another exemplary aspect can involve transforming colors to match a target profile. Another exemplary aspect can involve OPI processing, where image proxy information is replaced with a referenced high-resolution image.  
         [0048]     In a preferred embodiment, each creative input  250  is refined to produce multiple prepress pages  270  corresponding to each page defined by creative input  250 . Each prepress page  270  includes information about the page and is associated with at least one file containing the corresponding transformed page description. A page description file encapsulates information from referenced inputs. A prepress page  270  thus represents a digital master of one page derived from creative input  250 .  
         [0049]     Since refiner  210  performs its tasks in the context of a print job, prepress pages  270  are each associated with a print job entity as a printing association  280  in printing information store  130 . Refiner  210  also creates a printing association  280  between prepress page  270  and each digital image  240  encapsulated in its associated page description. Other printing associations  280 , corresponding to other aspects of refiner  210  or other components of print production software  140 , are possible. Printing associations  280  are more fully described below.  
         [0050]     In preferred embodiments, refiner  210  can be one part of a fully configured print production software  140 . Alternatively, refiner  210  can be configured as the only part of print production software  140 . In this case, interim or final results of creative developments can be verified as being ready to print. Print job information can then be exported into a fully configured print production software  140  to complete print production.  
         [0051]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart diagram illustrating a method, performed by refiner  210 , for processing images utilized by a creative input  250  according to one embodiment of the invention. The method identifies utilized images and creates an association for each prepress page  270  utilizing a digital image  240 . For clarity, other refining aspects, such as creating the prepress page  270 , are not shown.  
         [0052]     The method starts at block  302  and proceeds to block  304  where refiner  210  parses the print description language syntax to identify images. The method proceeds to block  306  where it attempts to obtain the first image. Next, it proceeds to block  308  where the method determines if an image exists. If not, the method proceeds to block  350  where the method ends. Otherwise, the method determines how to proceed based on which of blocks  310 ,  316  or  324  yield a positive result.  
         [0053]     Block  310  determines whether the image is defined by an OPI image proxy that references a digital image  240  in digital asset store  170 . This is done by checking the image description language for an attribute corresponding to an image identifier. The method then proceeds to block  312  where refiner  210  queries digital asset store  170  for information about digital image  240  corresponding to the image identifier. If digital image  240  cannot be located, the method determines whether refining can continue. Rules can be configured to determine the outcome. For example, refiner  210  can treat the situation by continuing with a warning message generated or terminating with an error message generated. This can increase the reliability of the results produced by print production software  140 .  
         [0054]     In some embodiments, the image identifier includes a revision attribute to identify iterations of an original image having the same main identifier. Digital asset store  170  may contain multiple revisions of a digital image each identified by a different revision attribute. Refiner  210  can also be configured to check the revision referenced by the image proxy with revisions of digital image  240  available in digital asset store  170 . Rules can be configured to determine the outcome. For example, warning or error treatment can be defined for different comparison outcomes (e.g. warn and utilize newer stored version if it exists). This can increase the quality of the results produced by print production software  140 .  
         [0055]     In some embodiments, access to digital images  240  can be restricted. For example, digital asset store  170  can include information describing which printing entities are allowed to access a digital image. Information that can support this is more fully described below. Refiner  210 , at block  312  for example, can determine whether the current print job is authorized to access digital image  240  referenced by creative input  250 . Rules can be configured to determine treatment similar to that described above. This can increase the reliability of the results produced by print production software  140 . Assuming block  312  obtains digital image  240 , the method proceeds to block  314 .  
         [0056]     Proceeding at block  314 , the method creates a printing association  280  between digital image  240  and the prepress page  270  utilizing it. This is more fully described below. Next, the method proceeds to block  306  to attempt to obtain the next image.  
         [0057]     Block  316  determines whether the image is defined by an OPI image proxy that references a digital image file  230  stored in a file system  220 . This is done by checking the image description language for an attribute corresponding to a file name. Refiner  210  searches a configured list of locations in one or more accessible file systems  220  as is common in traditional OPI processing. Once digital image file  230  is located, the method proceeds to block  320  as described below.  
         [0058]     Block  324  determines whether the image description language contains the high-resolution pixels. If so, the method proceeds to block  326  where the high-resolution image is copied to a file. Next, the method proceeds to block  320  as described below.  
         [0059]     Proceeding at block  320 , refiner  210  communicates with digital asset software  150  to store the high-resolution pixels and information about the image as a new digital image  240 . In some embodiments, digital asset software  150  can search digital asset store  170  to ensure that the new image is not already stored there. It can use attributes of the new image to perform a comparison. For example, attributes such as resolution, origin (e.g. author, creation date), pixel values, dimension or image digest can be used to locate a matching image. This can increase the efficiency of print production software  140  by ensuring only one copy of the image exists (in digital asset store  170 ). Next, the method proceeds to block  314  with a digital image identifier corresponding to the newly or already stored digital image  240 .  
         [0060]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating the functional components of refiner  210  according to one embodiment of the invention. Describing the interaction of these functional components provides a more detailed understanding of one approach for creating printing association  280 . Refiner  210  includes a configurable pipeline of processors. Each processor operates in turn and provides a different aspect of refining. For clarity, only a selected number of potential processors are shown.  
         [0061]     Normalizer  404  starts by obtaining creative input  250 . If necessary, normalizer  404  converts creative input  250  to postscript format. Normalizer  404  includes an OPI server  408  function that then examines the creative input  250  to identify OPI comments. For each OPI comment, the image identifier or file name included in the comment is used to obtain the high-resolution image from digital image  240  or digital image file  230  respectively. OPI server  408  adds the high-resolution image and additional postscript language to creative input  250 . The additional postscript language, when distilled, will create a PDF dictionary entry containing the name of the image identifier or the file pathname.  
         [0062]     Normalizer  404  then examines modified creative input  250  to determine if any embedded images exist and stores them as a digital image file  230 . Normalizer  404  then requests digital asset software  150  to store each utilized digital image file  230 . Digital asset software  150  responds, providing an image identifier for each corresponding digital image  240 . Normalizer  404  then updates creative input  250  to ensure that, for each high-resolution image, additional postscript language exists that will create a PDF dictionary entry containing the name of the corresponding image identifier.  
         [0063]     Next, distiller  406  interprets modified creative input  250  and transforms it into an equivalent PDF format. Normalizer  404  splits the resultant PDF into page descriptions  402  with each corresponding to one page of creative input  250 .  
         [0064]     Next, each processor in the pipeline performs its task. Each can access and modify page descriptions  402 . Finally, register  416  records page descriptions  402  as prepress pages  270  in the database. Register  416  also interprets each page description  402  to identify the PDF dictionary entries containing utilized image identifiers. For each dictionary entry, register  416  stores the prepress page  270  identifier corresponding to page description  402  and the digital image  240  identifier as an instance of a printing association  280 . The foregoing description describes one approach for creating printing association  280  from a creative input  250 . Other equivalent approaches are also possible that achieve the same results.  
         [0065]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a high-level information model according to one embodiment of the invention. Printing information  502 , created by print production software  140 , is depicted as containing several types of entities (depicted symbolically by rectangles) and associations (depicted symbolically by diamonds). Digital asset information  504 , created by digital asset software  150 , is depicted similarly. Association types are connected to one or more entity types by lines. This indicates that the connected entity types are related by a specific type of association. Both entities and associations can include attributes to hold information about instances of an entity or association. In a preferred embodiment, printing information  502  and digital asset information  504  are stored in a database to simplify searching.  
         [0066]     Most printing information  502  is created during the course of a print production process. For example, entities and associations are created during the process of printing a job to determine how prepress pages will be arranged on printed media. Most digital asset information  504  is created during the course of a creative process. For example, digital assets created as part of a creative project can be related.  
         [0067]     Printing entity  510  represents any of a number of types of printing entities. Prepress page  270  depicts a specific type of printing entity  510 . Printing association  280  represents any of a number of types of printing associations. UTILIZES  520  depicts a specific type of printing association  280 . UTILIZES  520  indicates that a prepress page  270  utilizes a digital image  240 . For clarity, association cardinalities are not shown. The non-specific entity and association types indicate that printing information  502  can contain many types of printing associations  280  between many types of printing entities  510 . More examples of these are described below.  
         [0068]     Similarly, digital asset entity  530  represents any number of types of digital assets. Digital image  240  depicts a specific type of digital asset  530 . Asset association  540  represents any of a number of types of asset associations.  
         [0069]      FIG. 5  also indicates that associations can span information stores as depicted by UTILIZES  520 , printing association  280 C and asset association  540 C. To maintain referential integrity between the information stores, entities of a specific type are given unique identifiers and software that creates an association must obtain and include the related identifiers in the association. Thus, for example, digital asset software  150  can reliably locate and retrieve a digital image  240  if the software has a prepress page  270  identifier, whose page description previously included digital image  240 , by examining UTILIZES  520  association. This would typically be done on behalf of client software  110  during a creative process.  
         [0070]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary information model according to some embodiments of the invention. For simplicity, only selected entities and associations are depicted.  
         [0071]     Customer  602  represents an organization that provides printing work to a printer. User  608  represents an individual that belongs to  618  customer  602 . Print production software  140  can use this information for operational and security purposes. Printing work done on behalf of a customer  602  is recorded as a print job  604  via the HAS  610  association. A print job  604  is associated with many entities. Print job  604  HAS  614  one or more page positions  606 . Each page position  606  represents a reader-ordered page to be printed. Similarly, print job  604  HAS  612  a collection of prepress pages  270  that have been refined. A printing employee creates multiple ASSIGNED TO  616  associations between a page position  606  and a prepress page  270  when she determines the reader order of refined pages.  
         [0072]     Customer  602 , BELONGS TO  618  and user  608  are shared by digital asset software  150  for organizational and security purposes. A customer  602  HAS  632  a creative library  620  which is a repository for a collection of digital images  240 . The collection is represented by the HAS  630  association.  
         [0073]     This simplified information model can be used to explain a few of the novel aspects of the invention. Locating a digital image  240  can be based on establishing a search criteria. For example, a user operating client software  110  may wish to locate a digital image  240  that was printed on a particular page of a particular edition of a publication. Digital asset software  150  searches printing information  502  and digital asset information  504  using an expression comprising a set of entities, associations and assertions on their attribute values. SQL is an example of a language suitable for expressing search criteria.  
         [0074]     Publication name and edition can be attributes of print job  604 . The search identifies a print job  604  based on the publication and edition attributes. HAS  614  can include a page number attribute that is used to locate the particular page position  606  corresponding to the particular page printed by the print job  604 . Next, the search identifies a prepress page  270  associated with the page position  606  via ASSIGNED TO  616 . Finally, the search identifies one or more digital images  240  by examining UTILIZES  520 . Digital asset software  150  retrieves preview images for the digital images  240  and presents them to client software  110  for user selection of the specific digital image  240  of interest. Thus, an indirect association between a print job  604  and a digital image  240  is used to locate the image.  
         [0075]     A simple access restriction method can be supported by the depicted information model. For example, digital asset software  150  can require client software  110  to supply a user  608  identifier when locating images. Digital asset software  150  can ensure that only a user  608  that BELONGS TO  618  a customer  602  that HAS  632  a creative library  620  may access a digital image  240  that is part of (i.e. equivalent to HAS  630 ) creative library  620 . Similarly, print production software  140 , processing print job  604  that HAS  612  a prepress page  270 , that attempts to UTILIZE  520  a digital image  240  will generate an error unless print job  604  and creative library  620 , containing the digital image  240 , are both directly associated with customer  602  (e.g. via HAS  610  and HAS  632  respectively). Of course, other associations can be created to allow more sophisticated access restrictions.  
         [0076]     In other preferred embodiments, additional printing associations  280  can be created between digital asset entities  530  (not limited to digital images) and printing entities  510 . For example, one or more prepress pages  270 , imported into a print job  604  from an asset store  170  as a digital asset, can be directly associated with print job  604  or other printing entities  510  associated with print job  604 .  
         [0077]     This type of association can be made, for example, when printing packages. Package printing can involve creating a refined prepress page  270  for each distinct printed package layout. In the packaging industry, a single package layout is usually referred to as an artwork file or a 1-up but these are conceptually similar to a prepress page in that each comprises a unit of creative content. For clarity, a package artwork file or 1-up is hereafter referred to as a prepress page. Each prepress page  270  can be produced, for example, as part of an initial print job  604  whose purpose is not to produce output but to produce a print-ready prepress page  270  for later use. Such a prepress page  270  is stored, either manually or automatically, in a digital asset store  170  for subsequent use. Printing associations  280  created as part of an initial print job  604  can be used to locate a prepress page  270  for use in a subsequent print job  604 .  FIG. 6  depicts prepress page  270 , as part of digital asset information  504 , and utilizes  520 , as part of printing information  503 , as additional exemplary entities and associations.  
         [0078]     In a subsequent print job  604 , one or more prepress pages  270  can be arranged for printing on a single media. Prepress pages  270  can be located as part of creating an arrangement specification (e.g. creating an imposition plan) for use in subsequent print job  604 . Alternatively, prepress pages can be located as part of a process of directly importing them into subsequent print job  604 . Additional printing associations  280  can be created between subsequent print job  604  and prepress page  270  (already stored in asset store  170 ). For example, associations between prepress page  270  and subsequent print job  604  or an entity corresponding to the arrangement specification can be made. Locating can be simplified by searching printing associations  280  created as part of earlier print jobs  604 .  
         [0079]     It can be readily appreciated that other associations can advantageously be created between these and additional entity types that are maintained by print production software  140  and digital asset software  150 . For example, a printing press software module can provide information about press, paper and ink entity types. Instances of these can be associated with a sheet or plate entity provided by a prepress software module. These associations can provide additional avenues for locating digital assets.  
         [0080]     Certain implementations of the invention comprise computer processors, which execute software instructions, which cause the processors to perform a method of the invention. For example, client software  110 , printing information software  120 , print production software  140  and digital asset software  150  can all be implemented by providing software, which runs on, or more computer systems and causes the computer systems to operate according to the methods described above. The program product may comprise any medium which carries a set of computer-readable signals comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to execute a method of the invention. The program product may be in any of a wide variety of forms. The program product may comprise, for example, physical media such as magnetic storage media including floppy diskettes, hard disk drives, optical data storage media including CD ROMs, DVDs, electronic data storage media including ROMs, flash RAM, or the like or transmission-type media such as digital or analog communication links. The instructions may optionally be compressed and/or encrypted on the medium.  
         [0081]     As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.