Sorting apparatus with arbitrary user-specified sequence control

A material-handling system to handle image-bearing items, the system comprising:

• means for obtaining a plurality of items, each item bearing a top surface image selected from a set of images;
• means for sorting the items according to a user input specifying a preference for a positioning of at least one top-facing image in a stack of said items;
• and
• means for stacking the items into a plurality of stacks such that the items are stacked in an order consistent with the user input, each stack in the plurality of stacks having an identical quantity of the items.

In a system for handling image-bearing items, a method for creating a sorted arrangement of image-bearing items comprising:

• providing a plurality of image-bearing items selected from a group consisting of plates, greeting cards, and stationery, said items bearing a plurality of distinct images;
• receiving a user input specifying a preference associated with an image borne on at least one of the plurality of image-bearing items, said input indicating a selected image-bearing item that is to be preferentially positioned on a top of a sorted arrangement of image-bearing items;
• sorting the image-bearing items according to said user input;
• and
• packaging a plurality of stacks of the image-bearing items in sorted arrangements with a packaging material that is at least partially transparent such that the image-bearing item positioned on top of each stack is viewable through said packaging material,
• wherein the sorting is at least partially randomized but statistically weighted according to the user input such that the image-bearing items viewable on top of the packaged stacks are disproportionately ordered consistent with said preference.