Automated job creation for job preparation

A system for providing production printing instructions for a printed end document to a job preparation station, wherein said printed end document comprises a plurality of documents in a predefined order, said plurality of documents each comprising content and document formatting, said system comprising:

• a job submission station having a computer;
• a receiver to receive said plurality of documents in electronic format from a job submission station operator, said receiver disposed at said job submission station and connected to transmit said documents in electronic format to said computer;
• an input device connected to said computer for said job submission operator to input instructions to said computer, said instructions operative to control features of said plurality of documents, wherein said control comprises at least one of manage, edit, modify and add feature;
• said computer programmed to:
• (1) receive input instructions from said operator through said input device to place said plurality of documents into an electronic folder, and arrange said plurality of documents in said folder in the order said documents are to be printed in the printed end document;
• (2) automatically convert the plurality of documents into a ready for printer format and merge the plurality of documents together to create a single document in said ready for printer format;
• and (3) create an electronic job ticket providing global attributes for the printed end document,
• wherein the plurality of documents are merged to create the single document, where the plurality of documents comprise a main portion and at least one exception page, where the printing of the main portion is delayed at a production device associated with the single document, while the at least one exception page is printed at an alternate output device where the production device prints the main portion and where the production device collates the at least one exception page with the main portion.