Methods and systems for page and spread arrangement in photo-based projects

A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a process of creating a printable product in a client-server environment, the instructions causing the processor to perform the steps of:

• providing an interface to allow a user to select a plurality of photos at a photo editing area of a user device;
• receiving an upload of said plurality of photos from said user device to a server, said server comprising a data repository for storing said plurality of photos and an engine for analyzing said plurality of photos;
• creating an automatic grid preview of a plurality of spreads, each spread comprising one or more photos of said printable product at said user device, each spread consisting of two opposing pages of the printable product, and wherein said grid preview is rendered by said server onto said user device;
• offering to said user an option of re-arrangement for manually re-arranging said plurality of spreads and said plurality of photos, wherein each spread or each photo is offered for re-arrangement, wherein a manual re-arrangement over-rides contents of said grid preview, wherein each spread or each photo is re-arranged by at least (a) moving at said grid preview a first photo from a first spread to a second spread, and (b) dragging at said grid preview a second photo from said first spread to outside of said first spread, and dropping said second photo between said first spread and said second spread, wherein said dropping automatically creates a new third spread comprising two opposing pages and said second photo, said new third spread located between said first spread and said second spread;
• sending to a printer an order to print said printable product;
• and
• printing said printable product on paper, wherein when said printable product is printed it becomes a delivery item on behalf said user who placed said print order.

A system for creating a printable product, the system comprising:

• a user device having a first processor, a display, a first memory;
• a server comprising a second processor, a second memory, and a data repository;
• a communications-link between said user device and said server;
• and
• a plurality of computer codes embodied on said second memory of said server, said plurality of computer codes which when executed causes said server to execute a process for:
• establishing a client-server connection between said server and said user device;
• providing an interface to allow a user to select a plurality of photos at a photo editing area of said user device;
• receiving an upload of said plurality of photos from said user device to said server, said server comprising said data repository for storing said plurality of photos and an engine for analyzing said plurality of photos;
• creating an automatic grid preview of a plurality of spreads, each spread comprising one or more photos of said printable product at said user device, each spread consisting of two opposing pages of the printable product, and wherein said grid preview is rendered by said server onto said user device;
• offering to said user an option of re-arrangement for manually re-arranging said plurality of spreads and said plurality of photos, wherein each spread or each photo is offered for re-arrangement, wherein a manual re-arrangement over-rides contents of said grid preview, wherein each spread or each photo is re-arranged by at least (a) swapping at said grid preview a location of a first spread with a location of a second spread by moving both opposing pages of each spread simultaneously, and (b) dragging at said grid preview a photo from said first spread to outside of said first spread, and dropping said photo between said first spread and said second spread, wherein said dropping automatically creates a new third spread comprising two opposing pages and said photo, said new third spread located between said first spread and said second spread;
• sending to a printer an order to print said printable product;
• and
• printing said printable product on paper, wherein when said printable product is printed it becomes a delivery item on behalf of said user who placed said print order.