A method and apparatus for market-based document layout selection use an automated auction or bartering system, i.e., an automated page layout system, to place objects within a page and automatically generate a page layout that is pleasing to a user. An object refers to any item that can be individually selected and manipulated, and may include shapes and pictures that appear on a display screen. The method and apparatus improve the quality of page layout in terms of user preferences, and optimize the speed at which various objects are arranged on a page in a pleasing manner. In addition, the resulting page layout may be consistent among pages because all pages are arranged according to a common algorithm.