System for preparing and franking a mail piece

An system for producing a mailpiece, said system comprising:

• a) data processing means for:
• a1) generating document data depending on weight and size of a document in said mailpiece;
• a2) appending attribute data to said document data to form mailpiece data depending on weight and size of a said mailpiece;
• and,
• a3) transmitting a digital signal representative of said mailpiece depending on the weight and size of said mailpiece to an apparatus for producing said mailpiece;
• wherein said apparatus comprises;
• b) a first printer for printing a document in accordance with mailpiece attribute data;
• c) mail finishing means for receiving said document from said printer and combining said document with an envelope to form said mailpiece, said mail finishing means including means for franking said mailpiece;
• d) controlling means responsive to said digital signal for controlling said apparatus to produce said mailpiece in accordance with said mailpiece weight and size, said mailpiece data including document data defining said document;
• wherein,
• e) said control means is further for controlling said franking means, and said control means includes a data store for storing:
• e1) a first data base of per item rating characteristics for materials to be used to form said mailpiece;
• e2) a second data base of postage rates;
• and wherein further,
• f) said controller is responsive to said digital signal to calculate a rating characteristic for said mailpiece as a function of said per item rating characteristics and to determine a postage amount for said mailpiece as a function of said rating characteristic and said postage rates, and to control said franking means to frank said mailpiece with said postage amount.