Patent ID: 6993562

Claim:
A method to enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message, comprising: defining a virtual e-mail address for the target printer; retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to the virtual e-mail address of the target printer from an e-mail server that hosts an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address, at least a portion of the source data comprising an attachment to the e-mail message; separating the attachment from the e-mail message; determining one of a corresponding application or browser via which the attachment can be rendered based on a content type of the attachment; loading the attachment into the corresponding application or browser running on a print server from which the attachment can be printed; generating printer data corresponding to the attachment via the corresponding application or browser and print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server; and submitting the printer data from the print server to the target printer.