Method and system for automatically forwarding an image product

1. A method of automatically forwarding hard copy image products to a designated recipient, comprising the steps of:

analyzing a digital image and developing a unique ID with respect to said image based on said analysis;

storing said unique ID and associated order information with respect to said image in a storage database, said order information includes a designated recipient for receiving a hard copy image product made using said digital image;

printing said digital image on to a medium using a first printer so as to obtain said hard copy image product;

scanning said hard copy image product subsequently by a scanning device and analyzing said digital image so as to obtain said unique ID and accessing said database for obtaining said order information using said unique ID; and

using said order information for further processing of said hard copy image product.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of forwarding said hard copy image product to said designated recipient obtained from scanning said hard copy image product.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said unique ID further comprises a reduced size image file derived from said digital image.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said unique ID further comprises a pattern representation of said digital image.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said hard copy image product comprises one of the following:

a print;

a post card;

a print with border;

a folded greeting card;

a poster; and

a mug.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said order information further comprises at least one of the following:

name and address of recipient;

message to recipient;

date and/or time; and

graphics (company logo or letterhead).

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said hard copy image product comprises a print and additional information is printed on the back side of said print by a second printer.

8. The method according to claim 3 wherein said order information further comprises address information for said designated recipient.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said order information further comprises message information for said designated recipient.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said hard copy image product comprises a print and additional information is printed on a separate document by a second printer.

11. The method according to claim 6 wherein said order information further comprises a message to be printed on an insert document by a second printer.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein said order information further comprises a recipient address information printed on an envelope.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first printer comprises a photosensitive printer.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first printer comprises a printer selected from one of the following: an ink jet printer, an electrophotographic printer, a thermal dye transfer printer.

15. The method according to claim 7 wherein said second printer comprises a printer selected from one of the following: an ink jet printer, an electrophotographic printer, a thermal dye transfer printer.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein said scanning device further comprises a linear array scanner.

17. The A method according to claim 1 wherein said scanning device further comprises an area array scanner.

18. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of determining as aspect of said order from said scanning of said hard copy image product and for verification of said hard copy image product with said order information.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said verification comprises determining if said hard image products matches said order information.

20. A method of automatically providing information with respect to a hard copy image product comprising the steps of: analyzing a digital image so as to develop a unique ID with respect to said digital image; storing said unique ID and associated order information with respect to said digital image in a storage database; printing said digital image on an image medium to produce said hard copy image product using a first digital printer; and scanning said hard copy image product so as to obtain said unique ID and accessing said database for obtaining said order information and printing said order information on said hard copy image product using a second printer.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said second printer prints said information on a non image-bearing portion of said image hard copy image product.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein said hard copy image product comprises one of the following:

a print;

a post card;

a print with border;

a folded greeting card;

a poster; and

a mug.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein said order information comprises at least one of the following:

name and address of recipient;

message to recipient;

date and/or time; and

graphics to print on back (company logo or letterhead).

24. The method according to claim 20 further comprising the step of determining an aspect of said order from said scanning of said hard copy image product and for verification of said hard copy image product with said order information.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein said verification comprises determining if said hard image products matches said order information.

26. A system for printing and automatically forwarding hard copy image products to a designated recipient, comprising:

an image server having a processor for analyzing a digital image and developing a unique ID with respect to said image based on said analysis;

a database connected to said server for storing said unique ID and associated order informations, said order informations including additional information and a designated recipient for receiving said hard copy image product made using said digital image;

a first printer connected to said server for printing said digital image onto a medium to obtain a hard copy image product;

a scanner connected to said server for digitally scanning said hard copy image product, said scan data being analyzed by said processor to obtain said unique ID and access said database for obtaining said order informations using said unique ID; and

a second printer for printing said additional information for use in forwarding said hard copy image product to said designated recipient.

27. The system according to claim 26 wherein said second printer prints said information on a non image-bearing portion of said image hard copy image product.

28. The system according to claim 26 wherein said hard copy image product comprises one of the following:

a print;

a post card;

a print with border;

a folded greeting card;

a poster; and

a mug.

29. The system according to claim 26 wherein said additional information comprises at least one of the following:

name and address of recipient;

message to recipient;

date and/or time; and

graphics (company logo or letterhead).

30. The system according to claim 26 further comprising the step of determining as aspect of said order from said scanning of said hard copy image product and for verification of said hard copy image product with said order information.

31. The system according to claim 26 wherein said verification comprises determining if said hard image products matches said order information.

32. A method of automatically forwarding hard copy image products to a designated recipient, comprising the steps of:

analyzing a digital image and developing a unique ID with respect to said image based on said analysis;

storing said unique ID and associated order information with respect to said image in a storage database, said order information includes a designated recipient for receiving a hard copy image product made using said digital image;

printing said digital image on to a medium using a first printer so as to obtain said hard copy image product;

scanning said hard copy image product subsequently by a scanning device and analyzing said digital image so as to obtain said unique ID and accessing said database for obtaining said order information using said unique ID, said scanning information is also used to obtain product information regarding said hard copy image product; and

using said product information for verification with said order information.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein said verification comprises determining if said hard image products matches said order information.