Patent ID: 7424436

Claim:
A postage printing system, comprising: a registration wall; a transport device for feeding an envelope having a plurality of lateral edges in a path of travel through the postage printing system where one of the plurality of lateral edges is aligned with the registration wall; a printer capable of printing a postal indicia and an ad slogan on the envelope, the printer being located in proximity to the path of travel so as to define a print position; a control system in operative communication with the transport device and the printer, the control system for: obtaining an indication from an operator of a selected print location for the ad slogan; and determining if the postal indicia and the ad slogan may be printed in a single physical pass of the envelope through the print position of the path of travel postage printing system, wherein: if the control system determines that the postal indicia and the ad slogan cannot be printed in a single pass through the postage printing system, then the postal indicia is printed in one pass through the postage printing system and the ad slogan is printed in another pass through the postage printing system, and before the another pass through the postage printing system, the control system provides the operator with an indication of an anticipated orientation of feeding the envelope through the postage printing system based upon the selected print location, further comprising: a scanner for detecting a distinguishing characteristic of the envelope; and wherein: during the another pass, the control system is further for: using the distinguishing characteristic to determine a fed orientation of the envelope; comparing the fed orientation with the anticipated orientation; and bypassing printing of the ad slogan if the fed orientation and the anticipated orientation do not correspond.