Means to facilitate delivery of electronic documents into a postal network

摘要

An automated hybrid mail system/method (10) is provided which sends a graphic image file (17a) from the sender's terminal (14) directly into a postal network (26) via a remote printing facility (24). The system checks that the recipient's address is correctly located on the graphic image file (17a) before sending and (optionally) verifying the recipient's address and adding a correct Delivery Point ID and bar code. The client-side operations require no filling in of pre-defined fields or templates; any computer application that produces a printable application document (13) can be used. Preferably, a single-click or simple operation by the sender (11) can automatically send the application document (13) to be printed as a hardcopy document (25) and mailed to a recipient (12). The server-side (21) operations are automated. The system tracks the graphic image file (17a) throughout the process using a unique identification number (17b) allocated when the graphic image file (17a) is created on the sender's terminal (14).