Patent ID: 7267498

Claim:
A method for printing edge data using a printing apparatus, said method comprising: (a) providing a sheet printing apparatus having a print media input device, a printing station that applies image-forming material to a sheet of print media that is supplied by said print media input device, and an output pathway that directs said sheet of print media to an output area; (b) receiving a print job at said sheet printing apparatus from an external computer, said print job including face image data that forms a first bitmap image on a surface of said sheet of print media, said print job also including edge image data that forms a second bitmap image along at least one edge of said surface of the sheet of print media; (c) integrating said first bitmap image and said second bitmap image into a single overall bitmap image data that is to be used for printing on said surface of the sheet of print media; and (d) moving said sheet of print media from said print media input device to said printing station and, according to said single overall bitmap image data, applying said image-forming material to said surface of the sheet of print media; wherein: (e) said second bitmap image is sufficiently small in width along said at least one edge of the sheet of print media that it is not highly visible when viewed from said surface of the sheet of print media; and (f) when said sheet of print media is stacked with other sheets of print media that are printed in the same print job, said second bitmap image forms at least a portion of a side image that is discernable when the stack is viewed from a side.