Abstract: A system for working with image and or text-based projects includes a server having a processor and a data repository, with software running from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing functions for establishing a client-server connection between the server and a user-operated appliance, maintaining a data session between a user through a graphics user interface (GUI), monitoring and recording working behaviors of the users, determining that a user should be incentivized to purchase a particular product, determining an amount for the incentive based in part on the parameters of the particular product, and providing notification, at a dynamically determined time during the instant active session, or at some time after the session, to individual ones or to the group of users of the availability of and the value of the incentive.

Abstract: A system for creating and editing image and or text-based projects includes a server connected to a network, the server having access to least one processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium, and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for establishing a client server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, a second function for initiating and maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in project creation and or in project editing through a graphics user interface (GUI), a third function for assigning colorable regions to system designed assets, a fourth function for storing those assets for service, and a fifth function for serving those assets to at least one user during the active data session.

Abstract: A system for locking in a dynamically changing pricing for an electronic print order among a grouping of two or more print vendors over a data network includes a server connected to the network, the server having access to least one processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium, and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for recording a current vendor price associated with vendor completion and shipping of the print order, a second function for generating an invoice covering the print order according to the vendor price, and a third function for electronically sending the invoice along with the print order.

Abstract: A project network service includes a server connected to the network, the server having access to least one processor and at least one data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function establishing a client-server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance, a second function registering at least one individual to use the service, a third function initiating and maintaining an active data session between one or more users through a graphics user interface (GUI), a fourth function accepting data input and asset contributions from the one or more users, a fifth function recording and applying the input, a sixth function facilitating a transaction for at least one project created through the GUI, and a seventh function orchestrating and managing production and delivery of the project to the one or more users.

Abstract: A system includes a server connected to a network, the server having access to a processor and a data repository and software running from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing for establishing a client-server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in working with the image and/or text-based projects through a graphics user interface (GUI), detecting interactive boundaries between items in a collection of items placed on an editable canvas, detecting, upon movement of at least one of the items, the intersection of one or more of the interactive boundaries, and implementing physics assigned to the items upon confirmation of intersection of the interactive boundaries.

Abstract: A system for creating image and or text-based projects includes a server having access to least one processor, a data repository, and a non-transitory physical medium. Software running from the medium provides a first function for establishing a client server connection between the server and the user-operated computing appliance, a second function for initiating an active data session with the user, a third function for provisioning a software mechanism to the computing appliance for facilitating upload of images to an image library associated with the project, a fourth function for detecting when the user is uploading images to the project, and a fifth function for notifying the user of the software mechanism and prompting the user to redistribute the software mechanism to interfaces operated by or otherwise controlled by friends and family of the user for the purpose of inviting them to add assets to the project.

Abstract: A method for optimizing storage space and data reproduction performance for an image-based layout created through an electronic interface has steps: (a) separating to at least a first degree, the content data from the structure data in the image-based layout, (b) during active user session with the image-based layout, determining the nature of the modifications to the data according to the at least the first degree of separation, and (c) writing new data modifications to storage in the form of a new addressed data source mapped to or indexed to the parent data source reflecting either content data changes to the image-based layout, structural data changes to the image-based layout, or both.

Abstract: A system for routing electronic print orders includes a server connected to the network, the server having access to least one processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing for acquiring current job capacity capabilities, delivery time estimates, historical production times, and current cost estimates for printing and shipping relative to one or more products resulting from completion of the one or more electronic print orders, scoring the values and comparing the scores to identify more preferable scores, and routing one or more of the electronic print orders according to the results of scoring performed by the second function.

Abstract: A system for creating and editing image and or text-based projects includes a server connected to a network and having access a processor and a data repository, and software running from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing for establishing a client-server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, initiating and maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in project creation and or in project editing through a graphics user interface (GUI), establishing a layout grid and defining gridlines as snap-to targets, establishing snap guides for specified assets to be placed on a canvass in an image and or text-based project, and establishing a distance threshold representing the distance between an asset and a gridline before snapping occurs, selectively de-activating or deleting gridlines for snap-to functionality with certain assets based on breach of an asset population threshold.

Abstract: A system for working with image and or text-based projects includes a server, the server having access to least one processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium, and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for establishing a client-server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, a second function for initiating and maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in working with the image and/or text-based projects through a graphics user interface (GUI), a third function for tagging project pages and or individual photo slots on those pages with one or more specific photo effects based on context of the project and or based on the most popular stylistic effects learned by the system, and a fourth function for applying the photo effects listed in the tags.

Abstract: A system for working with image and or text-based projects includes a server having access to a processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for establishing a client-server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, a second function for initiating and maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in working with the image and/or text-based projects through a graphics user interface (GUI), a third function for acquiring and recording current font attributes for text-based items on a page that is to be remixed, and a fourth function for calculating a best unified set of font attributes for the text-based items subject to the remixed page.

Abstract: An electronic messaging system includes a server connected to the network, the server having access to a processor and a data repository, and including and software running from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing for linking the electronic messaging system to the image-based project accessible through the electronic interface, facilitating calling the message system from within the image-based project by executing a link resulting from execution of the first function to receive a messaging interface, detecting and monitoring any online collaborators working on the image-based project and any online web visitors allowed to view the image-based project under construction, assigning for each message submitted, at least a collaborator identification stamp, a digital time stamp, and a digital location of the collaborator within the project at the time the message was submitted, and publishing the aggregated messages in one or more live broadcast to relevant online collaborators and project vi

Abstract: A system for creating and editing image and or text-based projects includes a server connected to a network, the server having access to a processor and a data repository, and software running from a non-transitory physical medium and providing for establishing a client server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, initiating and maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in project creation and or in project editing through a graphics user interface (GUI), accessing at least one asset associated with a layout of the image and or text-based project, assigning pre-specified physics properties to the asset, detecting a subsequent interaction with the asset on the layout from the perspective of at least one predetermined aspect of user input control, and applying the motion physics to the asset relative to the defined user input and assigned physics properties.

Abstract: A system includes a server having access to least one processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing for establishing a client-server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in working with the image and/or text-based projects through a graphics user interface (GUI), facilitating division of an image into a fractal image components for presentation on editable canvas in the GUI using more than one photo slot to present the fractal image components, coordinating the positions of the fractal views together, and translating the positional data resulting from the movement of a fractal image component in one photo slot to all of the other photo slots hosting the fractal image presentation.

Abstract: A system for working with image and or text-based projects includes a server connected to a network, the server having access to least one processor and a data repository, and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing for establishing a client-server connection between the server and at least one user-operated computing appliance connected to the network, initiating and maintaining an active data session between one or more users involved in working with the image and/or text-based projects through a graphics user interface (GUI), assessing and recording the usage statistics of digital assets used by the overall client base, monitoring and recording the navigation behaviors, usage patterns, and content contributions of all or individual ones of users operating through the at least one GUI or visiting the service domain, and gathering and prioritizing the digital assets for presentation according to analysis of data recorded by the third function.

Abstract: A system rendering theme-based digital assets used in creating and editing image and or text-based projects searchable through a graphics user interface (GUI) includes a server connected to a network, the server having access to least one processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium, and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing, a first function for tagging each template with multiple tag words relative to template content and function, a second function for forming tag groups from the template tags, a third function for providing a search engine for searching for templates using one or a grouping of the tag words as search input.

Abstract: In an online collage-based editor, a method for determining an effective aspect ratio for a selected project orientation that includes a group of two or more available page sizes having different aspect ratios and displaying a project page at a derived aspect ratio in the GUI during editing includes the steps (a) determining for each page size in the group, the viewable area of each page, (b) recording the aspect ratios of the viewable areas of step (a), (c) using a mathematical function, describing a total amount of error present amongst the available aspect ratios of step (b) for a given aspect ratio, (d) using a mathematical program, process, or automated calculation tool, finding the effective aspect ratio that minimizes the function and hence the error value of step (c), and (e) displaying the project page at the selected effective aspect ratio.

Abstract: A method has steps receiving a plurality of digital images at a network-connected computing appliance, sorting the plurality of images by one or more functions of software executing from a non-transitory physical medium on the computing appliance to determine a subset of images that are related according to data associated with individual ones of the digital images, and dedicating the determined subset of images to a single page of a photo album being prepared by the software.

Abstract: In a server-based system for creating and editing image-based and or text-based projects, the system having access to a digital medium containing an executable graphics user interface (GUI) accessible by computer browser, a method is provided for triggering automatic page save operations and includes the steps, (a) monitoring editing activity occurring in the project editor viewport, and (b) upon detection of a loss of a page from an editor viewport and or detection of a violation of a safety measure, automatically persisting the current page data to the server.

Abstract: A system for creating and editing image and or text-based projects includes a server connected to a data network, the server having access to a digital medium containing an executable graphics user interface (GUI) accessible by computer browser, at least one data repository residing on the network, the repository accessible to the server, the repository containing images, and product-related graphics, a print configuration engine implemented in software residing on and executable from the digital medium or another accessible medium, the print configuration engine for rendering image and or text-based products for printing, and at least one bi-directional communication channel established between a computing appliance running a version of the GUI while connected to the network and a server managing the data repository.