Blog processing

Abstract

The invention proposes a method for producing a printed product, in which a printed product, preferably produced in a forme-bound high-capacity printing process, in the form of a main product ( 2 ) or a subproduct is provided with an identification means which comprises a piece of individualizable product-specific information. At least two downstream individualization steps are performed, wherein the identification means allow the piece of information which is to be added in the at least two further downstream individualization steps to be associated with the respective product. Preferably, the new addressee-specific digital printed product comprises blog articles, preferably in the form of a blog insert, which is in turn preferably produced using digital printing. Identification means, for example in the form of ID tags ( 4, 4′ ), comprise not only the product-specific identification information but preferably also control information ( 31 - 36 ) which can be read by. sensors on the handling devices ( 7 - 12 ) and hence directly control the handling of the respective product by this at least one handling device ( 7 - 12 ) and, in cooperation with inspection codes on the subproducts to be supplied, allow the correct supply to be inspected. The present invention also allows uninterrupted compilation of product packages for postal dispatch by virtue of the product sequence in the course of the conveying line comprising, at least in sections, a recurring succession of a respective one or more intermediate products partly individualized on an addressee-specific basis and at least one, preferably a plurality of, non-individualized standard intermediate products.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a printed product, comprising:
 providing a printed product, produced in a digital high-capacity printing process, in the form of a main product ( 2 ) or a subproduct, with an identification means (IM) thereon which comprises a piece of individualizable product-specific information, wherein at least two further downstream individualization steps are performed, wherein the identification means allow the piece of information which is to be added in the at least two further downstream individualization steps to be associated with the respective product, and wherein in the course of a conveying line ( 3 ) the product to be created is individualized by means of addressee-specific assembly of a selection of conventionally or digitally produced subproducts and the inclusion of at least one further addressee-specific digital printed product, wherein the identification means comprises an ID tag including control instructions for indicating whether or not a handling device needs to insert into the printed product a corresponding conventionally or digitally produced subproduct of the selection of conventionally or digitally produced subproducts, and the ID tag is provided with product-specific control information readable by sensors on one or more handling devices to directly control and activate the one or more handling devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the downstream individualization steps comprise addressing and the digital printing of blog articles compiled individually for the addressee. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the identification means are selected from the group comprising: i) identification means fitted directly on or to the printed product, ii) identification means associated with the printed product detachably, temporarily and in direct physical proximity, and iii) identification means in the form at an electronic identification code in a superordinate control device, which identification code makes an association, with the aid of software, for each printed product in the production process in relation to the handling stations used in the process. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 printing the ID tag ( 4 ,  4 ′) as the identification means directly onto the printed product with a digital printed method during the high-capacity printing process or directly subsequent thereto. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one addressee-specific digital printed product comprises blog articles, preferably in the form of a blog insert. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the product sequence in the conveying line comprises, at least in sections, a recurring succession of a respective intermediate product partly individualized on an addressee-specific basis and at least one non-individualized standard intermediate products. 
     
     
         7 . The method according  claim 1  wherein the product sequence in the conveying line comprises, at least in sections, a recurring succession of a respective plurality of intermediate products partly individualized on an addressee-specific basis and at least one non-individualized standard intermediate products. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein in the event of missing intermediate products partly individualized on an addressee-specific basis, an addressee-specific individualization step to be performed is carried out on a subsequent non-individualized intermediate product and said intermediate product is thereby made the partly incorrect individualized address-specific intermediate product. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the partly incorrect individualized address-specific intermediate products or exactly the same end products are provided with a piece of information sent to the addressee, preferably in the form of a digital overprint or a sticker or a MEMOSTICK® note, relating to the incorrect product. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein a digital printing method is used to print the ID tag ( 4 ,  4 ′) directly onto a printed product or to fit a label printed with the ID tag or an electrically readable or read/writable electronic memory to the printed product, and wherein the ID tag ( 4 ,  4 ′) is preferably in the form of a machine-readable two-dimensional or matrix barcode. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the addressee-specific assembly is controlled only by the information contained in the ID tag ( 4 ,  4 ′), without any direct control instruction from a superordinate control system. 
     
     
         12 . A system for carrying out a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 fitting the ID tag ( 4 ,  4 ′) or an electronically readable or read/writable electronic memory to the printed product during the forme-bound high-capacity printing process or directly subsequent thereto. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identification means is placed on or with the printed product and is read as the printed product coveys along the conveying line to activate the handling device to associate the addressee-specific assembly with the product, or to inactivate at least one other handling device of the conveying line. 
     
     
         15 . A method for producing a printed product, comprising:
 providing a printed product, produced in a digital high-capacity printing process, in the form of a main product ( 2 ) or a subproduct, with an identification tag thereon, the identification tag comprising individualizable product-specific information including control instructions that directly control each of a plurality of autonomous handling devices to instruct at least one of the plurality of autonomous handling devices to insert into the printed product a corresponding at least one conventionally or digitally produced subproduct of a selection of conventionally or digitally produced subproducts;   conveying the product along a conveying line ( 3 ) that includes the handling devices; and   individualizing the product by an addressee-specific assembly of the at least one conventionally or digitally produced subproduct and at least one further addressee-specific digital printed product, wherein the identification tag on the printed products instructs the at least one of the handling devices to associate the addressee-specific assembly with the product.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to claim  20 , wherein the identification tag on the printed product is read as the printed product conveys along the conveying line to activate the at least one of the handling devices to associate the addressee-specific assembly with the product, or to inactivate at least one other handling device not included in the at least one of the handling devices. 
     
     
         17 . A method for producing a printed product, comprising:
 conveying each of a first printed product and a second printed product, each produced in a digitally high-capacity printing process, in the form of a main product ( 2 ) or a subproduct, along a conveying line ( 3 ) that includes autonomously operating product individualizing handling devices;   providing on or with the first printed product a first identification tag comprising individualized product-specific information for the first product;   providing on or with the second printed product a second identification tag comprising individualized product-specific information for the second product that is different from the first identification tag of the first product, wherein each of the first identification tag and the second identification tag includes control instructions for directly controlling whether or not each of the handling devices needs to insert into the printed product a corresponding at least one conventionally or digitally produced subproduct of a selection of conventionally or digitally produced subproducts;   reading the first identification tag as the first printed product conveys along the conveying line to individualize the first printed product by a first plurality of the handling devices to associate a first addressee-specific assembly of the at least one conventionally or digitally produced subproduct and at least one further first addressee-specific digital printed product with the first printed product; and   reading the second identification tag as the second printed product conveys along the conveying line to individualize the second printed product by a second plurality of the handling devices that is different than the first plurality of handling devices, to associate a second addressee-specific assembly of the at least one conventionally or digitally produced subproduct and at least one further second addressee-specific digital printed product with the second printed product.