On-line system for creating a printable product

A method for generating a printable product using an online system accessible via a computer network, the method comprising:

• storing on a server accessible via the computer network, defining data plurality of printable products including one or more design elements;
• storing on the server a plug-in program to enhance the functionality of a web browser program by providing a web browser with modification functions for modifying the defining data and assembly functions for assembling a printable product suitable for printing, wherein the assembly and modification functions occur within the web browser program on a client computer;
• wherein said plug-in program controls the downloading to the client computer of the defining data of a selected printable product, and wherein said defining data defines at least one of the design elements selected from the group of:
• graphical elements, text elements, and formatting data associated with the graphical and text elements;
• downloading the plug-in program to the client computer accessing the server through the web browser program, to provide for the user modification and printing of a printable product at the client computer via the web browser, using the plug-in program in connection with the web browser to assemble printing data for printing the printable product on the printer, wherein said step of assembling printing data includes at least one of the steps of:
• resizing, scaling, division into panels that anticipate printing in a desired printing format;
• and wherein said modification function of said plug-in program further includes the step of modification to at least one of:
• font, color, alignment, position within a panel, adding a design element, and deleting a design element, and
• printing the printable product on a printer operatively coupled to the client computer.

A computer system for selecting, modifying and printing customized greeting cards comprising:

• one or more databases containing multiple greeting cards identified and selectable by contents, genre and attributes, the one or more databases further including selectable assets for each greeting card including graphic and textual designs for front panels, inside panels and back panels of greeting cards, and selectable text elements including font, point size, color, and alignment and print parameters;
• a personal computer programmed with an Internet web browser and operatively connected to a web server whereon the one or more databases reside in the form of URL-identifiable pages for transmission to the personal computer via hypertext transport protocol and display formatted according to hypertext mark-up language including one or more embedded formatting commands at least one of which is a plug-in program;
• the plug-in program being downloadable to the Internet web browser of the personal computer which is operative to detect and launch the plug-in program by a file extension, the plug-in program including an engine and assembly component for selection, display editing and printing assembly for all panels of a greeting card and printing assembly including scaling and resizing and division into greeting card panels for printing according to a selected greeting card fold format, the plug-in program operative to select, display and edit greeting card text elements including a record identifier, a greeting card category, text element font and point size, text element position on a panel, text element alignment and text string, and addition or deletion of text elements;
• printing the greeting card on a printer operatively coupled to the personal computer.