Method and apparatus for associating on demand certain selected media and value-adding elements

A media processing system for use in an environment in which selected objects require a “smart” media sample having printed material and an RFID transponder with an electronic circuit, memory, and antenna capable of responding to an RF interrogation signal, and in which environment other objects require only a conventional (“dumb”) media sample having printed material but lacking an RFID transponder, the media processing system creating on demand both smart and conventional dumb media samples in response to programmed instructions from a host processor, the system comprising:

• an on-demand print device configured to receive a series of labels, tickets, tags, cards, or other media samples, said print device printing on media samples in response to programmed format and content print instructions individualized for each media sample in the series of media samples which instruct the print device regarding what to print and where to print on the media sample;
• and
• an on-demand value adding mechanism configured to receive said series of media samples and a series of RFID system components, said value adding mechanism in response to programmed instructions individualized for each media sample, either applying to the media sample an RFID system component from said series of components to render the media sample smart, or not applying an RFID system component to the media sample to thereby cause the media sample to be dumb.