Process for programming and producing one or more signature prints in an electronic printing system

Claim 1

A process for printing a signature in an electronic printing system which prints image pages from electronic pages composed of image signals, the electronic printing system having a source of signature print media sheets for printing at least two of the image pages on a signature print media sheet, and programming means including a display screen for programming the electronic printing system to print the signature, comprising the steps of: a) electronically displaying print programming selections including signature print programming selections on the display screen; b) providing electronic pages for printing the signature; c) programming instructions for printing the signature by actuating selected ones of the signature print programming selections, said step c) including: 1) displaying an electronic representation of the signature print media sheet having a boundary and being partitioned into two regions the electronic representation of the signature print media sheet including a pair of spaced apart, bounded image receiving regions delineating locations in which respective images are to be disposed on a resulting signature print media sheet, the pair of spaced apart, bounded image receiving regions being movable, relative to one another, for defining an adjustable gutter region, including a variable boundary, and a set of adjustable margins, the adjustable gutter region and the set of adjustable margins including dimensional components, respectively, and 2) positioning the pair of spaced apart, bounded image receiving regions relative to the boundary of the electronic representation of the signature print media sheet to set the dimensional component of the adjustable gutter region and the dimensional component of the set of adjustable margins; d) ordering selected ones of said electronic pages to print at least two of the image pages in an ordered side:by:side relation on the signature print media sheet, in accordance with said step c) 1) and said step c) 2); and e) printing the ordered electronic pages on the signature print media sheet to provide a signature print, the signature print having two opposing sides with a pair of image receiving regions being disposed, in side by side-by-side relation, on each one of the opposing sides, the image receiving regions receiving the at least two of the image pages and the signature print having a print gutter, with a dimensional component, and a set of print margins, having a dimensional component, wherein the dimensional component of the adjustable gutter region corresponds to the dimensional component of the print gutter and the dimensional component of the set of adjustable margins corresponds with the dimensional component of the set of print margins, and wherein each image receiving region is associated with a page order so that, when the signature print is folded in a selected manner, the image receiving regions are positioned in a page order sequence.