Drag photos from the Photo Library onto the canvas, then build.
Fit
Text
Element
Image
Text Effects
1/1
Build Settings
Current spread settings.
Auto Build Options
Choose what Auto Build may change.
Confirm
Activate Smart Album Builder
Select your Smart Album Builder license file to unlock the app on this browser. You only need to do this again if browser data is cleared or you use a different browser or computer.
License required.
Choose Hero Collage Image
Select collage images first.
Choose Element
Loading elements.
Choose Background
Loading backgrounds.
Photo Library
Choose an image folder to start.
Instructions
Basic Workflow
Choose an album spread preset, flip its orientation if needed, or enter a custom size, resolution, and background.
Choose Full Spread for one collage across the whole spread, or Split Pages for separate left and right page builds.
In Split Pages, choose Left Page or Right Page before loading images or changing build controls. Clicking a page on the canvas also makes that side active.
Select the collage images for the active spread or page and turn on Randomize if you want their order shuffled during Build or Reshuffle.
Set the build direction, columns or rows, spacing, aspect mode, scale, and edge style.
Click Build Spread to create the full spread or solve both split pages together.
Use Fit Canvas with Square edges when you want the built collage expanded to the designer area.
Click any collage image to adjust it, then use the slider, drag inside its frame, or drag the circular arrow handle.
Use Save Project when you want a reusable project file you can open later.
Add, delete, clear, or reorder spreads as needed.
Click Export to choose spreads, file type, and packaging.
Collage Image Adjustments
Frames start filled so no empty canvas shows inside a collage image frame. Original layouts usually preserve the full image because the frame ratio follows the collage image ratio. 1:1 Grid and Fit Canvas may crop by design. The slider enlarges the selected item, dragging moves it inside the frame, and the circular arrow handle rotates it. Dragging, zooming, and rotation are limited so the frame never shows empty space. Reset returns the selected item to its calculated placement.
Split Pages And Borders
Spread Gutter controls the space at the album fold. Consistent Borders keeps the left and right pages using the same top, bottom, and outside border values so the two sides feel like one spread. Turn it off when one page needs a narrower, wider, taller, or more square build. Hug Gutter places each split-page collage close to the fold, Center keeps each one balanced on its page, and Hug Outside moves each one toward the outside edge. Match Page solves both pages to a shared visual height and scales them down together when either side would overflow. Independent lets each page scale down only as needed to stay inside its own bounds.
Canvas, Spotlight, And Fit Canvas
Canvas presets are starting points for common album spreads such as 12 x 24 inches for a 12 x 12 album. Flip swaps width and height, then Apply Size updates the current spread. Spread Borders reserve print-safe space around the generated collage. Fit Canvas expands a Square-edge collage to the active spread or page area using the spacing value as the interior gap. Fit Canvas is disabled for Tapered edges because it would turn the tapered shape into a normal full-frame layout. Undo Fit Canvas restores the previous frame layout for the active spread or page.
Spreads And Exports
Each spread keeps its own mode, selected image sets, split-page settings, and build controls. Use the spread controls to move the current spread back, forward, to the front, or to the end. Export opens a dialog where you can choose spreads, format, zipped PNG or JPEG exports, separate PDFs, or one multi-spread PDF.
Installing Or Bookmarking
Smart Album Builder can be used in the browser, bookmarked, or installed as an app window. Collage images and image backgrounds stay on your computer, and the app can reopen from its local cache after it has loaded once.
Chrome: open the app page, then use the address-bar install icon, or choose More, Cast, save, and share, then Install page as app.
Safari on macOS Sonoma or newer: open the app page, then choose File, Add to Dock. The app is saved to your home Applications folder and can open from the Dock or Spotlight.
Edge: open the app page, then use the install prompt, or choose Settings and more, More tools, Apps, then Install this site as an app.
Uninstalling
Chrome: open the installed app, choose More, Uninstall Smart Album Builder, then Remove. You can also manage apps at chrome://apps.
Safari: open your home folder in Finder, open Applications, then drag the Smart Album Builder web app to the Trash.
Edge: open edge://apps, choose Details for Smart Album Builder, then Uninstall.
The app remembers the current draft in this browser so work usually reopens where you left off. Clearing browser data, switching browsers, or private browsing can remove that draft. Save Project creates a portable project file with the current spreads, collage images, image backgrounds, canvas settings, and layout edits embedded so you can open the project later.
Tips
Use a spread preset or inches and 300 ppi for print layouts; 12 x 24 inches is the starting point for a 12 x 12 album spread.
Use Full Spread when one image set should flow across both pages.
Use Split Pages when each side needs its own image set or a different layout shape.
Use Consistent Borders and Match Page when both pages should respect the same top and bottom borders.
Use Empty Row with Hug Gutter when a short 1:1 Grid row should tuck toward the album fold.
Use Independent Fit when one page should be longer and narrower while the other stays more square or taller.
Use Hug Gutter for layouts that should meet near the album fold.
Use Original when you want collage image ratios respected, and 1:1 Grid when you want a cleaner square-tile look.
Use Scale % to leave more border space before fitting, or to make the generated collage larger before centering.
Save a project file before closing the browser if you need a dependable copy of the work.
Use Fit Canvas after a Square-edge Build when you want the collage to fill the spread or active page while keeping spacing consistent.
Use Undo Fit Canvas before rebuilding if you want to return to the original calculated layout.
Use Reshuffle to try a different arrangement with the same collage images.
Use the spread move buttons to reorder the album before exporting.
Use a zipped folder when exporting several PNG or JPEG spreads.
Use one multi-spread PDF when you want a single proof or share file.
Use New Project only when you want to clear everything and start fresh.