A couple photo already has the story. The card is how you make that story look like a gift instead of a camera-roll screenshot. On Ottermagic you upload one clear picture of the two of you, run Face Swap or Style Swap (Pet Swap if the third party in the relationship is a dog), preview until it feels like them, then order a UK A5 card or take the e-card. Printed cards are 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, made to order in the UK and posted with Royal Mail in around 3–5 working days. US partners get the same card from the US shop, sent by airmail to a US address in about 2–3 weeks. Anyone opening this on 23 December should take the e-card. Start at Ottermagic.com with the photo you actually like, not the one where someone is blinking.
This page is for partners. Family-wide Christmas cards, first Christmas, and pet-in-the-household cards live in family, pet, and first-Christmas Style Swap.
Sweet or funny: pick the tone before the style
Write the inside in your own voice. The front only has to match that voice.
If the card is fond, the front should still look like both of you, just gentler. Watercolour and Sketch do that. Royal Portrait is fond in a costume-y way: they look like themselves in a court painting, which is a compliment if they will take a joke.
If the card is a tease, Caricature, Anime, and Chibi are the usual starting points. Caricature leans on the expression you already have in the photo. Anime and Chibi soften a slightly awkward snap, which is useful when the only picture is a pub selfie.
You can mix: a Chibi front and a sincere sentence inside. People remember the sentence. The front just has to earn the envelope.
Style picks that suit a couple photo
Royal Portrait. One of you as the regal one, or both of you sharing the frame if the photo supports it. Works when they already joke about being high-maintenance, or when you want the card to feel like a keepsake rather than a cracker toy.
Watercolour. Quiet. Good for a first Christmas together, or for a partner who would not enjoy seeing their face as a figurine. Phone photos with window light do well here.
Caricature. Keep it kind. A raised eyebrow in the original photo will get louder. If they are sensitive about a feature, skip this look and use Sketch.
Anime. Useful when you want colour and a clear likeness without going fully toy-like. Couples who already watch the same shows often recognise themselves faster in this than in a straight photo card.
Chibi. Small, round, forgiving. A slightly messy couple selfie is a better input than a stiff posed portrait. If the crop cuts off someone’s hair, try another picture.
Other live looks still apply: Photobooth for a night-out snap, Clay 3D or Bobblehead if they collect silly objects, Classic Cartoon if you send funny cards every year. Face Swap is the path when you want their faces in a finished scene rather than a restyle of the kitchen behind you. Lucky Leprechaun is an example of that scene-led joke; only use it if the household likes a costume gag.
Text Swap covers a name-only front if you genuinely have no photo. If you can steal a picture off their phone (with permission), Style Swap or Face Swap will make a better partner card.
Message ideas you can actually send
Steal these and rewrite them so they sound like you. Left as-is they will sound like a stranger.
Husband, UK printed A5, fond: “Happy Christmas. I still like the version of December that has you in it. Tea, the good biscuits, and this card, which is us whether you admit it or not.”
Wife, a little funny: “I asked the card to make you look like a queen. It did not have to try very hard. Happy Christmas. I will still do the sprouts.”
Boyfriend: “This is us, slightly better lit than that night on the bus. Merry Christmas. I am glad I sat down next to you.”
Girlfriend: “I kept the photo where you are laughing at me. That seemed safer. Happy Christmas. I like our life.”
Face Swap gag (inside still warm): “They put your face on this. I stand by it. Happy Christmas. Dinner is on me if the likeness is too accurate.”
Long-distance, e-card: “I cannot post this into your hands today, so here is the file and a promise I will be annoying in person in January. Happy Christmas.”
Leave the inside blank if you would rather handwriting. Ottermagic printed A5 cards can stay blank or take a printed message.
Photo tips for two people
One face slightly closer to the camera will steal the Style Swap. Stand at similar distance. Daylight from a window beats fairy lights around your heads.
If you only have an old holiday photo, try it. If someone’s face is a smear of movement, retake a two-minute kitchen portrait. Face Swap in particular wants a clean, face-on head; a couple shot where one person is in profile can land oddly.
Hats are fine if you can still see eyes. Sunglasses are a headache. Group photos with friends in the background will drag extra people into a Style Swap; crop or pick a tighter picture.
More photo hygiene: how to choose a photo.
Printed A5 in the UK or US, e-card when time is short, wall art as an extra
UK: printed A5, 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, recyclable stock, water-based inks, Royal Mail around 3–5 working days. Give that window room. Last posting dates are on Christmas posting deadlines.
US: the same printed A5 from the US shop, sent by airmail to a US address in about 2–3 weeks, so allow about three weeks before Christmas.
Late, in either country: the e-card, a hi-res watermark-free download after payment. Email it, print it locally, or show it on a phone and still put a handwritten note on the table.
Posters and canvas are available if you want the same portrait as a gift that hangs, rather than only as a card. Check Ottermagic.com for current wall-art options. A Christmas-specific wall-art walkthrough is personalised Christmas posters and canvas.
Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day). Checkout shows pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop.
Ready when you are
Make the card that looks like the two of you, sweet or slightly rude, and stop when the preview feels true. Upload a couple photo, try Royal Portrait, Watercolour, Caricature, Anime, or Chibi (or Face Swap if the scene is the joke), then print a UK A5 or download the e-card. Start at Ottermagic.com.
FAQ
What is the best husband Christmas Face Swap card in the UK in 2026?
The one whose preview looks like your husband. Ottermagic Face Swap plus a clear photo is the method. Royal Portrait and Caricature are common starting looks; judge the preview, not a ranking.
Can I make a wife Christmas Style Swap card if I am in the US?
Yes. Use Style Swap on Ottermagic and order the printed A5 from the US shop, sent by airmail to a US address in about 2–3 weeks. If Christmas is less than about three weeks away, buy the e-card instead.
We only have a blurry night-out photo.
Try Photobooth or Chibi, and also take a two-minute daylight picture if you can. If the preview is unkind, do not order it.
Can I include the dog?
Yes. Pet Swap for a card from the pet, or a photo that includes both of you and the animal for Style Swap. See Christmas cards from the dog or cat.
What if I do not want their face on the front?
Text Swap can carry a name or a short line. A lot of partners still prefer a likeness once they see a kind preview.
