Patent ID: 8271389

Claim:
A method for ordering a book, the method comprising: receiving, by a computing device, a request that identifies a book; in response to receiving the request, determining, by the computing device, whether the thickness of the identified book exceeds the maximum thickness allowed by a finishing device, the determining comprising: receiving, by the computing device, the identity of a finishing device that will be used to bind the book; retrieving, by the computing device, stored data that indicates the maximum thickness allowed by the identified finishing device; and comparing, by the computing device, the identified book's printed thickness with the maximum thickness allowed by the identified finishing device; presenting, by the computing device, an option to the user to manufacture the identified book in two or more volumes; determining, by the computing device, that the user has accepted the option to manufacture the identified book in two or more volumes; based on the determination, splitting, by the computing device, the book into two or more volumes, wherein each volume comprises a quantity of sheets that is no greater than a maximum quantity of sheets that can be bound or stapled by the specified finishing device, and manufacturing the split book by the identified finishing device.