Managing workflow in a commercial printing environment through closed-loop communication between designer and print service provider locations

A program product for managing workflow in a commercial printing environment including a designer location and a print service provider location, said product comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, a machine to perform the following method steps:

• establishing a closed-loop communication link between the designer location and the print service provider location;
• creating a press ready file at the designer location using updated device configuration information received from the print service provider location via said closed-loop communication link;
• submitting said press ready file to the print service provider location via said closed-loop communication link;
• and
• performing at least one of automated printing, finishing, packaging and shipping using said press ready file.

A system for managing workflow in a commercial printing environment including a designer location and a print service provider location, said system comprising:

• means for establishing a closed-loop communication link between the designer location the said print service provider location;
• means for creating a press ready file at the designer location using updated device configuration information received from the print service provider location via said closed-loop communication link;
• means for submitting said press ready file to the print service provider location via said closed-loop communication link;
• and
• means for performing at least one of automated printing, finishing, packaging and shipping using said press ready file.