Patent ID: 7688458

Claim:
A method for processing a print job, the method comprising: providing a workflow database containing pre-existing workflows for performing a print job; providing workflow creation tools for allowing a user to create a workflow for a print job, wherein said workflow comprises a plurality of discrete processing stages including at least two operations selected from among a list of operations consisting of a folder input stage, a spot color management stage, a preflight stage, an imposition stage, and a folder output stage; selecting a workflow from among created workflows and preexisting workflows, forming a selected workflow comprising a plurality of modules, wherein each module in the plurality of modules accomplishes at least one print job processing step; submitting a print job to a selected workflow; initiating print job processing based on the selected workflow, wherein at least one module is completed and at least one of the modules fails, creating at least one completed module and at least one failed module; alerting a user when the at least one of the modules fails; modifying at least one of the modules after at least one module fails, creating at least one modified module; modifying the selected workflow, forming a modified workflow, wherein the modified workflow includes the at least one modified module, but does not include the completed modules; reprocessing the print job based on the modified workflow; assigning the modified workflow a name; saving the modified workflow in the workflow database for subsequent use; and processing at least one additional print job using the saved modified workflow.