The concept of web-to-print should be simple. A customer wants a job printed, so he logs onto the internet, finds a PSP or returns to one he's used before. Then he uploads his file using the method outlined online – and, bingo, his finished job is delivered to him.

But the truth is, behind every simple web-based interface designed to handle incoming files, there is likely to be a complex structure which integrates various parameters involved with data handling, turning it into a printed product. A typical customer wants to submit a job, using a straightforward online procedure that includes all the criteria to get his order produced. If he isn't an account customer, he expects to be moved seamlessly through a shopping basket area and have the ability to pay by debit card, credit card, BACS or PayPal.

However, order progressing goes further than this because there will be customers who want a quote before proceeding and who might have a technical query before going ahead with their order submissions. Just as there is no such thing as a standard job for many people, so there will always remain the need for human intervention, even if the enquiry has been generated via the internet.

From the PSP's viewpoint, submitted jobs need tracking and to pass through approvals, from proofing to credit card and spending limits. As each job comes in, it needs to be assigned to the most suitable output devices; associated administration and accountability are also needed for all steps in the process.

The web-to-print model has also become a valuable asset for agencies and brand owners who need to be able to call off jobs quickly and easily. Template structures simplify design criteria and compliance with management systems ensures that every element is handled from ordering, through stock control at the PSP through to despatch and invoicing.

On the one hand, users have set up sites which offer basic web-to-print principles using simple online ordering procedures which might work to an extent, but could fall down on job tracking and accountability. Many sign and display options are probably easier to instigate than businesses that run a variety of different presses and digital machines. For example, TheSignBuilder and BuildASign make it easy to select a design, and guide users through adding text and graphics to produce a personalised product.

But, for more sophisticated web-to-print options, you tend to get what you pay for; companies offering the service successfully are those who understand all areas which are likely to be relevant beyond attracting a customer and taking an order. Vendor hosted, or SaaS delivery models, mean every aspect of an order is handled online accounting for multiple users, cross platform requirements and live database integration. This is a thin client protocol which uses the cloud for its hosting and is accessed via the internet, so data escrow can be a method of ensuring that information is kept independently as protection.

There is plenty of choice available in ready-made packages, with one of the earliest being XMPie's uStore option which provides variability and customisation within given template guidelines. Users can access a central area where marketing and promotional items can be edited while keeping within the remit of the host business's identity and brand structure.

Fujifilm has also entered the web-to-print arena with its XMF Print Centre that gives customers an online ordering system but streamlines the way different jobs are fulfilled. Like many, it relies on PDF technology and automated print production so that jobs can be routed easily to the best output device.

Likewise, EFI's Digital StoreFront is a customisable web-based shopping tool for companies wanting to deal with PSPs online. A SaaS based option, it has the benefit of being able to integrate fully with a company's MIS and ERP solutions as well as connecting directly to external systems.

For a strong web-to-print solution to work it needs to be simple for the customer and efficient and seamless for the PSP. It is up to the business investing in the system to decide on the functionality which is required and, while savvy companies might be able to develop their own remote ordering options, many won't have the time or the knowledge. But, with online purchasing of everything from groceries to computer systems and printers now an everyday occurrence, the internet looks like becoming the de facto way of ordering even the most complex of print jobs.