Patent Application
20060184643
The present invention relates to a system and method for creating and selling printed media, and in particular to a system and method of creating signage (charts, banners, etc.).
Submitted herewith is a compact disc (in duplicate) bearing the title “Method for Making & Selling Signs & Charts”. The contents of that disc are expressly incorporated into this application.
The present invention, referred to herein as “Big Banner™”, is a fast, easy and flexible method of selling large banners, signs and charts on the Internet. By means of the present invention, a customer can have a custom sign, table or chart designed, printed, and ready for delivery from an internet proprietor.
The present invention revolutionizes banner, sign and chart printing with high-quality, affordable signs and charts for any occasion, whether a customer's own design for a personal moment or for a business event. The banners, signs, and charts can be used, for example, to advertise a service, announce a grand opening, or celebrate a milestone event in style.
There are four major features of the invention:
1. Big Banner Builder™—The customer chooses from thousands of professional designs and customizes his/her own message.
2. Big Photo Finish—The customer creates a high-quality banner, sign, or chart from his/her own favorite photos.
3. Big Banner Bazaar™—The customer selects from a stock of ready-made banners, signs, and charts.
4. My Big Design—The customer designs his/her own banner, sign or chart on a Mac or PC using his/her own software.
A system embodying the present invention resides in the disc appended hereto. The following description is a narrative of the operation of that system.
Big Banner Builder™
With Big Banner Builder™, creating personalized, high-impact signs and charts has never been easier. An intuitive three-step process lets the customer create his/her own sign or chart in minutes.
The process involves the following series of prompts and responses thereto:
To start: Select a horizontal or vertical banner, sign or chart. Then click “Next” to see available designs click on the theme of your choice.
Examples of themes for selection:
Armed Services
Corporate
Government
Tech
Music
Non-Profit
Personal
Retail
Schools
Sporting
To begin customizing a banner, sign or chart, the customer is prompted to click on the design of his/her choice.
For example, if the customer chooses ARMY, the screen illustrated in
A gallery of banners, sign, and charts is provided on the site and can be accessed by a mouse click. This feature permits the customer to explore the proprietor's stored banners, sign, and charts and select the ones he/she desires.
Special Features
In the preferred embodiment, the customer can print any design up to a height of, for example, 59 inches and a length of 16 feet. Of course, other size limitations may be imposed by the proprietor.
Printing is typically done on quality vinyl and window-cling polyester film, but other media can be utilized.
A brilliant and durable solvent ink is preferably utilized to render a professional product.
Past orders can be retrieved so that a customer can retrieve his/her order history at any time.
Every order is archived so that the customer can receive a saved file or obtain a reprint of an archived file.
Each banner, sign, or chart is prepared for printing by professionals trained to produce superior work.
Uploading and File Preparation
Preparing files for printing is easy. The key is to prepare a file format that does not have separate elements (fonts or pictures) and is ready to print. The customer is urged, on the site, to follow these guidelines for preparing files:
In order to achieve a swift turnaround and keep prices low, all files are uploaded via the website. If a customer is able to visit the proprietor's retail store, however, he/she can bring his/her design on a CD, DVD, or the equivalent.
Scanned photos and digital pictures that are included in the banner, sign or chart design should be scanned according to this formula:
Final Size (inches)/Original Size (inches)=‘Scan Multiple’×150=Scan DPI
For example: A popular photo size is 8″×10″. To scan that picture to include in the design, first determine the size you want it to be (3′), divide it by the original size (8″) and multiply by 150 dpi. This will give you the scan size in dots per inch to set your scanner at.
For a 3′ image—36″ divided by 8″=4.5×150=675
For a 4′ image—48″ divided by 8″=6×150=900
Every inch on a file is a foot of banner. The file may be sent to the proprietor at ⅓ the final output size to allow you to manipulate and upload the file easier. This will allow a smaller file size for upload as well. For example, a final size banner of 9′×3′ would have a working design file size of 3′×1′.
Some typical FAQs appearing on the proprietor's site:
Q: Do I need to consider the difference between RGB and CMYK color formats?
A: No. This is not necessary because the proprietor does not separate your file into color planes.
Q: Can you print a bleed on my banner?
A: Yes, bleeds are included in the price of your banner. Design your banner artwork to extend through our bleed area, leaving [need number] inches beyond the boundaries of the banner.
Q: How do I avoid “banding” on large areas of black?
A: When you have large sections of black on your banner, you can avoid banding by setting your design software at: C=30, M=30, Y=0, K=100.
Big Photo Finish
With Big Photo Finish, the customer can create an amazing banner featuring up to three of his/her own photographs. Just upload your image(s), and follow the easy directions on the subsequent pages. Click here for information on uploading and file considerations.
Upload images . . .
Events
Holiday
Personal
BIRTHDAY
To place your order, click on the banner design you want. When Birthday is chosen, a banner having graphics similar to that illustrated in
Having described preferred embodiments of a new and improved method and system for a making and selling signs and charts, it is believed that other modifications, variations, and changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein. It is therefore to be understood that all such variations, modifications, and changes are believed to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/648,432, filed Feb. 1, 2005 and entitled “Method for Making and Selling Signs and Charts”. The disclosure of the above-mentioned provisional application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60648432 | Feb 2005 | US |
