Patent ID: 7609398

Claim:
A networked font rendering system comprising: a web server for generating a web page image on a browser running on a networked workstation wherein the web page image includes data corresponding to document finishing options for at least one associated electronic document, including at least one tab option corresponding to at least one selectable font for use in connection with a selected document finishing option; means for receiving selection data via the web page, which selection data includes at least one selected finishing option and at least one font selection corresponding thereto; testing means for testing for availability of bitmapped font image data corresponding the at least one font selection; means for acquiring vector data representative of a vector based font corresponding to each font selection for which no availability of bitmapped font image data is indicated by the testing means; rendering means for rendering a portion of the vector based font to generate bitmapped font images corresponding to characters required for rending the selected finishing option; means for associating time stamp data corresponding to a time corresponding to the rendering of the vector based font; font storage means for storing the rendered bitmapped font images on a networked memory associatively with the time stamp data; means for deleting the rendered bitmapped font images in accordance with passage of a selected duration relative to the time stamp data; and communication means for selectively communicating the font images from the font storage means and the electronic document to at least one networked printer to generate document print data in accordance with a request from networked workstation so as to generate a printout including a rendering of the electronic document and a rendering of each selected finishing option from the font images.