Layouts tab

A layout is the underlying photo-area structure that a template uses. Where templates are about visual design (background art, frame, branding), layouts are about geometry: how many photos there are, where they go, what shape they are, and how they're rotated.

Who this is for: Advanced operators or designers who want to create custom layouts. Most operators won't need this tab. The layouts that ship with BoothIQ cover the common cases.

What this tab is for

  • Browse the list of available layouts
  • Create new custom layouts
  • Edit photo area positions, sizes, rotations, and shapes
  • Set border radius and border colors for photo areas
  • Preview a layout in a canvas view
  • Save changes

A layout vs a template, what's the difference?

Layout: defines the geometry. Number of photos, position, size, rotation, shape. Reusable across many templates. Created in the Layouts tab. Example: "3-photo strip with circular photo areas."

Template: defines the design. Background art, frame, colors, branding. Uses one layout. Created in the Templates tab (or from the cloud library). Example: "Holiday strip with snowflakes, using the 3-circle layout."

When customers pick a template in the carousel, they're picking a design. The geometry comes from whatever layout that template references.

Layout list

The Layouts tab shows a list of all installed layouts. Each entry shows:

  • The layout name (e.g. Strip-3-Shot-Circle)
  • The number of photo areas it has
  • A canvas dimensions indicator (width × height)
  • An edit button
  • A delete button (for non-built-in layouts)

Built-in layouts that ship with BoothIQ are usually protected from edit and delete so operators can't break the templates that depend on them. You'll be able to view their geometry but not modify it.

Screenshot needed
layouts-tab-list.png
Layouts tab list with installed layouts and their photo area counts.

Creating a new layout

To create a custom layout from scratch:

  1. Find the New Layout (or similar) button.
  2. Give the layout a name. Make it descriptive (e.g. 4x6-2-Photo-Heart).
  3. Set the canvas dimensions in pixels. For prints this should match your target output (e.g. 1803×1206 for a 4×6 at 300 DPI).
  4. Add photo areas one at a time:
    • X / Y position. Top-left corner
    • Width / Height
    • Rotation. Degrees
    • Border radius. For rounded corners
    • Shape type
  5. Save.

Photo area shapes

Each photo area has a shape type that determines how the customer's photo gets cropped to fit:

  • Rectangle. Square corners
  • RoundedRectangle. Square shape with rounded corners (controlled by border radius)
  • Circle. Perfect circle
  • Heart. Heart shape
  • Petal. Petal / leaf shape

Pick the shape that matches the template design you're going to put on top.

Editing an existing layout

For non-built-in layouts:

  1. Tap the layout's Edit button.
  2. The 3-column edit view opens: layout list on the left, edit form in the middle, canvas preview on the right.
  3. Click any photo area in the canvas to select it.
  4. Modify its position, size, rotation, shape, or border in the edit form.
  5. The canvas preview updates as you type.
  6. Tap Save when you're done.
Screenshot needed
layouts-tab-edit.png
Layouts tab edit view with the layout list, edit form, and canvas preview.

Built-in layouts are read-only

Layouts marked as built-in (the ones that come with BoothIQ) cannot be edited or deleted. This is by design. Many templates depend on them, and editing one would break every template that uses it.

If you need a variant of a built-in layout, duplicate it (if your version supports duplication) or create a new layout from scratch with the same geometry plus your changes.

Verify it worked

You can use the Layouts tab effectively when you can:

  • Find a specific layout by name
  • Open a layout in the edit view and read its geometry
  • (For non-built-in layouts) edit a photo area and see the canvas preview update
  • Save changes without errors

Common problems

Edit / Delete buttons are disabled.

The layout is built-in and protected. Create a new layout instead of editing.

Canvas preview doesn't update.

The form has invalid values (negative width, etc.). Fix the invalid value and try again.

Templates referencing a layout I edited look broken.

You changed the geometry in a way that doesn't match the template design. Revert your changes or update the template to match.

New layout doesn't appear in the Templates tab dropdown.

The cache hasn't refreshed. Exit and re-enter admin.

Words of caution

Warning
Editing layouts is an advanced operation. The geometry you set is what every dependent template will use forever, and there's no easy "preview against a real template" feature in this tab. If you're unsure, leave layouts alone and ask your BoothIQ point of contact to make custom ones for you.

Next steps