Later milestone birthdays want a card that looks like the person, not a joke about being “over the hill” that they have already heard. On Ottermagic you upload a clear photo, run Face Swap or Style Swap (Pet Swap if the guest of honour is really the dog), preview until the likeness feels kind, then order a printed A5 card or an e-card. Printed cards are 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, printed to order in the UK and posted with Royal Mail to UK addresses in around 3–5 working days, or sent by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks. The e-card (hi-res, watermark-free download) is ready the moment you pay, for anyone short of time or living far away.
What usually works at these ages
Taste splits. Some seventy-year-olds want Clay 3D and will put it on the mantel with glee. Some want Sketch or Watercolour and would bin a Bobblehead. The photo and the preview tell you more than the number on the cake.
Style Swap is the reliable default: the real picture, redrawn. Watercolour, Sketch, Cartoon, Classic Cartoon, Royal Portrait, Photobooth, and Anime are gentle-to-playful starting points. Brick, Action Figure, Pixel Art, Retro Game, and Clay 3D suit people who still collect things, still game, or still have a sense of humour about figurines. Caricature needs a preview check; it can feel sharp if the person is sensitive about a feature.
Face Swap earns its place when they would enjoy being in a scene: a grand portrait, a costume template, Lucky Leprechaun if that is their kind of gag. Use a recent, face-on photo. A 1978 wedding close-up will “work” and feel like a different human if they have changed.
Pet Swap when the 80th is also the story of the staffie on the armchair. Clear pet photo, animal in frame.
Text Swap if relatives cannot agree on a photograph and you still need a designed name card. If someone can text you a decent picture, use Style Swap instead.
Full live list for browsing: Brick, Chibi, Emoji, Anime, Watercolour, Caricature, Cartoon, Classic Cartoon, Action Figure, Clay 3D, Retro Halftone, Retro Game, Royal Portrait, Pixel Art, Bobblehead, Sticker Sheet, Tarot Card, Photobooth, Sketch, Lucky Leprechaun.
Posters and canvas are available if the portrait should hang in the hallway after the party. Check Ottermagic.com for live wall-art details. A later-life milestone is a common reason to want both a card and something on a wall; you do not have to go to a separate canvas-only shop for that idea.
60th
Often still a noisy party. Photobooth, Cartoon, Anime, and Action Figure fit a “we are not done” mood. Royal Portrait if they would like a slightly stately joke. Use a photo from this year if you can: new glasses, new hair, the face people will see at the table.
If the 60th is quiet (lunch, four people, no disco), Sketch or Watercolour will sit better next to the flowers. Generate one lively look and one quiet look. Keep the preview you would be happy to give in front of their friends.
UK A5 if you have around 3–5 working days. E-card if the invitation was last-minute. Inside blank, or a printed message with the year, which people sometimes keep.
70th
This is a common “everyone comes” birthday. A Style Swap of a recent garden photo can be copied as several A5s for siblings who all wanted to send something. You can also send the e-card to the cousin in the US so they have a personalized file the same day, while the UK pack goes in the post.
Chibi can look oddly young; try it only if they like that cartoon face. Classic Cartoon and Watercolour are safer first clicks. Clay 3D if they have grandchildren who will laugh and they will too.
Avoid digging a tiny passport scan out of a drawer when a grandchild could take a new phone photo by the window in thirty seconds.
80th and 90th
Likeness and kindness matter more than novelty. Eyes visible, no heavy party lighting, no filter that already smoothed them into a stranger. Style Swap in Sketch, Watercolour, or Royal Portrait often feels like a gift rather than a meme. Face Swap into a loud template is a family-by-family call; preview with the person who knows them best, not only with the person who found the site.
Large print: if they will struggle to read a joke inside a busy design, keep the front relatively calm and write a real sentence inside the 330gsm card. Recyclable stock, water-based inks, envelope included.
If several relatives want to send cards, agree one good photo and one style, then order multiple A5s, instead of six competing caricatures.
100th
A hundredth is already a news story in a small town. The card can be simple. A clear photo, Style Swap in Watercolour or Sketch, printed A5, written inside by hand if they still read handwriting. Face Swap is optional. Pet Swap if a cat has outlasted everyone and deserves the front.
Order earlier than the party. Around 3–5 working days is the print guide, and extra copies for the care home table or the family display go in the same thought. Posters and canvas, if you want a display piece, are on the site; confirm sizes there.
E-card for relatives the post will not reach in time. They can print the file locally.
Photo notes that show up more after 60
- Glasses: usually fine if you can see the eyes. Glare is the problem; tilt or take them off for one frame.
- Hats at summer 70ths: keep them if they are “the person”; lose them if they swallow the face.
- Wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen: include them if that is daily life and the person is not self-conscious; crop tighter if the card is about the face.
- Group shots at the 80th lunch: crop to the guest of honour for Face Swap. Style Swap can keep a couple if both are in focus.
Phone photos are fine. Recent beats nostalgic when the old file is a blurry scan.
Format and timing
| Need | Format |
|---|---|
| UK letterbox, a few working days to spare | Printed A5, 148×210mm, 330gsm gloss, envelope, Royal Mail ~3–5 working days |
| US mailbox, about three weeks to spare | Printed A5, same spec, sent by airmail, around 2–3 weeks |
| Party tomorrow, or a US date less than three weeks away | E-card download |
| Something to hang after the cake | Poster or canvas (check live details) |
| Name only, no photo | Text Swap, then the same print vs e-card choice |
Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day). Prices are in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop. Check live postage at checkout.
Ready when you are
You can give a 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th, or 100th card that actually looks like them. Upload a clear photo, try Face Swap or Style Swap (Pet Swap if a pet belongs on the front), and keep the preview you would be proud to hand over. Order the A5 330gsm gloss with an envelope to a UK or US address, or take the e-card anywhere. Posters and canvas are there if the portrait should stay on the wall. Start at Ottermagic.com.
FAQ
Is a Face Swap 70th card in poor taste?
It depends on the template and the person. A kind Royal Portrait or a Sketch Style Swap is hard to get wrong. A mean caricature is easy to get wrong. Preview with someone who knows them.
Can I use a photo from their 40th?
Technically yes. Emotionally it can feel like a different card. A recent phone photo in daylight is usually the better 80th.
Can I send a printed 100th birthday card to the US?
Yes. In the US shop the A5 is printed to order in the UK and sent by airmail to the US address, around 2–3 weeks door to door. If the party is sooner than that, download the e-card and print it locally or send the file.
What about a pet who grew up with them?
Pet Swap. Same A5 or e-card choice. A 90th with the terrier on the front is a legitimate card.
Will it arrive next day?
Not as a promise. Allow around 3–5 working days for a UK address or around 2–3 weeks for a US address, or use the e-card. Read checkout for the estimate on the day you buy.
