--- title: "Composites Online" slug: "composites-online" description: "Order composite group photographs online with live rendering in Timestone's Internet Ordering System, ensuring personalized viewing for each subject." updated: 2026-06-17T08:43:44Z published: 2026-06-17T08:43:44Z canonical: "help.timestone.com.au/composites-online" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.timestone.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Composites Online A key feature of the Timestone Internet Ordering System (IOS) is the ability to order composite group photographs. Moreover, with live rendering, the customer can see the actual composite page - not a generic, static graphic. This includes rotated composites where IOS will display the subject's personalized page. > [!WARNING] > CAUTION > > Live rendering of composites can only work if the composite page has been formed in NeoComposite or CompositeBuilder. ## The composite product For customers to order a composite product online, a product of type Composite must be included in a Package within the job’s assigned Offer. Like other Products, a composite product is defined in the **Products** tab of tsAdmin. ![Timestone Administrator interface displaying product details and categories for management.](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/Composite_Product.png) Figure 1: Composite Products in tsAdmin ## Multiple composites for the same subject There are many circumstances where a subject can be included in two or more composites. A simple example is where a subject is part of the regular class composite photo, together with a year-level composite. In these situations, it is possible to control whether IOS displays all the composites, just one or some composites, or none at all. Consider the scenario where a subject belongs to both a year level composite and a class composite. The job is uploaded with an offer that has a package with a single composite product. ### The default behaviour - show all composites By default, IOS will display each composite page the subject is a member of, even though there is only a single composite product in the offer. In Figure 2 below, note the two composites showing online and the single composite package and product in tsAdmin. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/CompOnlineGeneric.png) Figure 2: Multiple composites for a single composite package By default, IOS will display each composite that a subject is included in. > [!TIP] > Note > > The description entered on the Composite Settings window will display alongside the title of the product entered in tsAdmin in the case that there is more than one composite without a Subtype being offered. ### Excluding composites from online ordering In some situations, a subject may belong to multiple composites, but not all of them are intended for online sales in IOS. For example, a year-level composite might be provided by the school as a gift to students, requiring it to be created and printed in NeoComposite but not made available online. In this case, checking **Exclude from online ordering** on the **Composite page settings** window in **Form Pages Mode** will not display the composite page online and prevent it from being offered and ordered ![Composite page settings for arranging subject blocks and templates in a school system.](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/CompOnline3.png) Figure 3: Excluding a Composite from Online Ordering > [!NOTE] > NOTE > > There is an additional location to **exclude from online ordering** on the **Composite settings** window shown in Figure 4 below. ### Offering composites to all subjects In some cases, a composite may need to be offered to all subjects in a job, even if a subject is not a member of the composite page. This can be achieved by selecting **Offer to all online** in the composite settings window. ![Composite settings window displaying folder options and checkboxes for selection.](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/CompOnline2.png) Figure 4: Including a composite for all subjects in online ordering ## Further control with subtypes There are situations where a subject is a member of multiple composites, but the composites need to be handled differently. Consider the following two examples. **Example 1** **Situation**: The photographer offers both a class composite and a year-level composite. The class composite is to be included in a 'Value Package' where it is bundled with a set of portrait prints. The year level composite is to be offered as a separate package. **Default behaviour:** The default behaviour would duplicate the Value Package with one containing the class composite and the other containing the year-level composite **Subtypes:** Two different composite products are created, one of subtype **Class** and the other with subtype **Year.** The Value Package would contain the **Class** composite product, and the Yearbook package would contain the **Year** composite product. When forming the pages in NeoComposite, they would be assigned the matching subtypes - **Class** and **Year,** respectively. ![Online view of class composite packages with pricing and download options displayed.](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/CompSubtypesOnline2.png) Figure 5: Year level and class composite in separate packages **Example 2** **Situation**: The photographer wishes to offer both a static and a rotated composite, but at different prices. They therefore need to be different Packages. **Default behaviour:** A single composite product in each package would display both the static and rotated composites in each package, whereas the photographer wants one package with the static and another with the rotated composite. **Subtypes**: Two composite subtypes are created, one with the subtype of **Stat** and the other with subtype **Rot**. One package then contains the **Stat** product, and the other contains the **Rot** package. In NeoComposite, the pages are assigned matching subtypes. ![Online ordering interface displaying composite photo package options and details for selection.](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/CompSubtypesOnline3.png) Figure 6: Static and rotated composites in separate packages As seen in the two examples above, when subjects appear in multiple composites, subtypes allow the different composites to be handled as different products, which then allows them to be added to packages independently. > [!TIP] > Composite subtypes allow different composite pages to be handled as different products ****Further Reading: Subtypes**** Composite subtypes allow different composite pages to be treated as different products. This means it is possible to order different composites in a manner analogous to ordering different products in NeoPack [Composite Subtypes](/v1/docs/composite-subtypes) ### Assigning the subtype A composite is labelled with a subtype in the 'Select subjects to include' window of **Form Pages Mode** in NeoComposite. ![Composite settings interface displaying folder options and selected items for printing.](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/CompSubtypes_1.png) Figure 7: Assigning a subtype to a composite page > [!WARNING] > **CAUTION** > > Once a composite page has been given a Subtype, it can only be used with a product of the same Subtype. The product is assigned a subtype in Timestone Administrator. ![Timestone Administrator tower displaying product codes and descriptions for school composites.](https://cdn.document360.io/4c6b2b86-f0ee-419b-9aca-71ba574125e1/Images/Documentation/CompSubtypes_2.png) Figure 8: Assigning a subtype to a product > [!WARNING] > CAUTION > > Once a composite product has a Subtype, it will only display composite pages with the same Subtype. The previous two screen grabs show a composite page labelled with a subtype "Stat" and a matching composite product in tsAdmin, also with the subtype "Stat". --- ### FAQ #### I have Multiple types of composite I want to offer: Homeroom, Grade, Whole School, etc. Can I offer them all as products to be ordered online? Yes, a subject can be included in multiple composites, and IOS can control the display of these composites, either with one default composite product or via subtype-specific products. #### I only have one composite product, but I have several different composite pages showing online? By default, IOS will display all composite pages that a subject is a member of, even if there is only one composite product in the offer, provided that no subtype has been assigned to the product or the composite page. #### Is it possible to only offer specific composites for online ordering? Yes, you can exclude composites on a page-by-page basis from online ordering by checking the '**Exclude from online ordering**' option in the Composite page settings or Composite settings windows. #### Can a composite be offered to all subjects in a job? Yes, you can offer a composite to all subjects by selecting the '**Offer to all online**' option in the composite settings window. #### Can a composite product display pages with different subtypes? No, a composite product will only display composite pages that have the same subtype. A composite product without a subtype will display all composite pages that do not have a subtype. Packages are defined in an Offer and comprise one or more Products. Packages are the basis of all ordering methods. When customers place an order, when they buy something, they are ordering a package even if that package only contains a single product. An Offer is composed of one or more Packages. It is useful to think of an offer as an order sheet from which customers choose what they wish to order. "Here are the packages I offer you". A product is any item produced in the apps. Simple prints, package prints, trader cards, groups, composites and digital files are all examples of products. Products are of different types. Portrait 'type' products often relate directly to a pack layout template. Other product types relate to a genre, such as composites, groups and digital image. One or more products are combined into a Package. tsAdmin also referred to as Timestone Administrator is a utility that allows the user to create working environments for the software. Used with composite and group products to offer a different composite or group arrangement. Composites may for example have a subtype of "Yearlevel" to offer a year level composite in addition to class composites. Groups may for example have a subtype of "Misc" for all extra groups outside of the class group photo. Packages are defined in an Offer and comprise one or more Products. Packages are the basis of all ordering methods. When customers place an order, when they buy something, they are ordering a package even if that package only contains a single product. ## Related - [Composite Subtypes](/composite-subtypes.md) - [Subtypes and Versions](/subtypes-versions.md)