If you want a condolence or memorial card, start with manners, then a photo, then a style. On Ottermagic you can upload a picture, run a quiet Style Swap, preview until it feels like a decent human sent it, and order a printed A5 card (148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included; Royal Mail around 3–5 working days in the UK, airmail around 2–3 weeks in the US) or an e-card when the funeral is close. You can also skip the face and use Text Swap. Ottermagic is a greetings-card shop. It is not a funeral director and has no funeral-service partnership. Start at Ottermagic.com only if a likeness card is actually wanted.
A photo of someone who has died can be a comfort, or it can be a shock on the doormat. If you did not know the family well, a simple card with your own handwriting may be kinder.
When a likeness helps, and when it does not
Helps when the family has been sharing photos, you were close, or they have asked for pictures at a memorial. A still Style Swap in Sketch or Watercolour can look like a small portrait, not a stunt.
Does not help when you are a distant colleague, you only have a blurry party snap, or you are tempted by Face Swap because it looks clever. Clever is the wrong test.
If you are unsure, do not generate twenty wild previews. Generate one gentle option. If it feels like a birthday, stop.
How it works: photo (or no photo) → Style Swap, Pet Swap for an animal who died, Face Swap only if a calm scene truly fits, or Text Swap → preview → printed A5 or e-card.
Good to know: you see the front before you pay. The printed card is A5 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, blank inside or printed message, printed to order in the UK, recyclable stock, water-based inks. Typical post around 3–5 working days with Royal Mail to UK addresses, or around 2–3 weeks by airmail to US addresses. E-card: hi-res, watermark-free download. Posters and canvas exist as formats for a home memorial the family has asked for; check Ottermagic.com for live details. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day). Prices are in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop.
For a US funeral, around 2–3 weeks of airmail will usually miss the date, so US senders should use the e-card for the service. The printed A5 suits a later keepsake or anniversary card.
Style choices that stay quiet
Live styles: 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.
For condolence, start with Sketch, Watercolour, or Royal Portrait. They still look like the person. They do not ask the bereaved to laugh.
Avoid Caricature, Bobblehead, Lucky Leprechaun, party Photobooth strips, and anything that turns grief into a gag. Tarot Card can look mystical in a way some families hate. Emoji is almost never right here.
Cartoon and Clay 3D belong on other occasions unless the person who died was famously that kind of funny and the closest family is already using that tone. Do not guess.
Face Swap puts a face into a finished scene. Most funeral and condolence jobs do not need a scene. If you use it, the template should be still, not heroic, not comic. When in doubt, Style Swap.
Pet Swap is a separate, real job when the loss is an animal. Keep those designs as still as a human memorial. See also the pet birthday and memorial guide if the card is only about a pet.
Photos, consent, and funerals
Use a picture the person liked, or one the family has already made public. Do not scrape a tagged night out. Do not use a hospital bed.
Children who have died need even more care. If you are not the parent, ask before any likeness. Text Swap or no photo is often the respectful default.
Ottermagic does not arrange funerals, orders of service, or flowers with a funeral home. If you need an order of service, speak to the family or the funeral director they chose. You can still send a card.
Hand-deliver if you will be at the house or the service. The envelope still matters. Postage of around 3–5 working days in the UK, or 2–3 weeks to the US, can miss a funeral date; use the e-card and print it, or write a simpler card you already have and send the Ottermagic design later as a keepsake, only if that would be welcome.
What to write inside
Short. Specific. No lesson.
- You are sorry.
- A small memory if you have one ("he always asked about the allotment").
- An offer you will keep ("I can do Thursday school run this month").
- No need to reply.
Leave the inside blank more often than you add a printed message. Handwriting is the point. A printed paragraph of inspiration is easy to resent.
Do not compare griefs. Do not write that it was "for the best". Do not use the card to ask about the will, the house, or the pets unless you are the person who must.
Format chooser
| Situation | Format |
|---|---|
| You can wait around 3–5 working days (UK) or 2–3 weeks (US) and want an object | Printed A5, envelope included |
| The funeral is this week | E-card, or a card you already own |
| The family has asked for a picture at home | Poster or canvas, if they asked; confirm live options on Ottermagic.com |
| A face on the front would be wrong | Text Swap, or another retailer's plain condolence card |
Other shops have large sympathy catalogues. That depth is useful. Ottermagic's job here is a careful likeness when a photo is wanted, plus Text Swap when it is not. You can use both kinds of shop in the same week.
Ready when you are
Decide whether a face belongs on the front. If it does, try Sketch or Watercolour and stop at the first preview that feels kind. Print an A5 330gsm gloss card with an envelope, or download the e-card. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
Can I make a funeral card on Ottermagic?
You can make a personal condolence or memorial card. Ottermagic does not partner with funeral services and does not print orders of service as a funeral product.
Should I Face Swap someone who has died?
Usually no. A quiet Style Swap is the safer likeness. Skip a photo if you are unsure.
What if I am sending from the US?
Use the e-card for anything tied to the funeral date. Airmail to a US address takes around 2–3 weeks, which usually misses it. The printed A5 is still there for a later keepsake card.
Can I order a memorial poster?
Posters and canvas are available. Only order wall art if the household wants it. Check Ottermagic.com for live details.
Can I leave the inside blank?
Yes. That is often best.
Do you offer Text Swap for condolence?
Yes. Text Swap is available when a photo would be wrong. Style Swap, Face Swap, and Pet Swap remain available when a likeness is wanted.
