The onerous task of keeping business cards up to date is being eliminated by a remote-control printing service over the Internet.

Businesses who set up an account with the Card Corporation can log on to its interactive website and order small batches of professionally printed cards for next-day delivery.

The new online service is aimed at businesses with frequent card requirements and advertising and graphic design agencies that handle stationery printing for clients. To set up an account, the user sends in logo artwork in digital form with an existing business card. Card Corporation sets up the card template on its website.

Behind the simple composition and ordering interface of the site lies a suite of intelligent software which completely automates the order processing and batches jobs to printers for overnight production.

Each client's card layout template is set up in advance to maintain control over corporate image, and there is a wide choice of password-protected access privileges. For example, a company's sales staff may be allowed to order limited quantities of their own cards with the ability to edit certain details such as title, address, tel/fax and e-mail, while an administrator may be given wider privileges and be able to update all details.

All client information, including the card template, is stored on a database so that production parameters, layout, logo and font files, delivery and other details can be automatically extracted for generating print orders, job tickets, delivery notes and invoicing. The software also batches jobs together to obtain the most streamlined and cost-effective production.

Ivor Jacobs, who conceived and developed the service, set up one of the first high-street print shops in the UK 25 years ago and has been described in the trade press as one of the founders of quick printing. He says: "Change is expensive. The last time telephone codes changed, it cost UK businesses millions of pounds. Every day mergers, company restructuring and mobility of the workforce conspire to add to the mountain of obsolete business stationery. We hope this service will reduce the costs of change."

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