Patent ID: 7933845

Claim:
A method using a centralized computer system comprising at least one computer device for customizing computer-based value-bearing items, said method comprising: using the centralized computer system, uploading a computer-readable representation of an image to a computer-accessible memory that is accessible by the centralized computer, according to a respective user-provided instruction provided via a remote computer device; using the centralized computer system, generating an item-specific identifier for identifying a particular image-customized, computer-based, value-bearing item; using the centralized computer system, generating full, digitally-signed, generic, computer-based, value-bearing-item indicia data for the particular image-customized, computer-based, value-bearing item; using the centralized computer system, extracting a subset of data from said full, digitally-signed, generic, computer-based, value-bearing-item indicia data, wherein the subset of data comprises less data than said full, digitally-signed, generic, computer-based, value-bearing-item indicia data; using the centralized computer system, generating a computer-readable representation of a set of computer-based, value-bearing item indicia data comprising the subset of data and the item-specific identifier; and using the centralized computer system, merging in the computer-accessible memory, the computer-readable representation of the image, with the computer-readable representation of the set of computer-based, value-bearing item indicia data, thereby forming a computer-readable representation of the particular image-customized, computer-based, value-bearing item.