Easter and Halloween are different seasons that want the same mechanic: a photo of someone you love, restyled so they still look like themselves, on a card you would actually send. On Ottermagic you upload a clear picture, run Style Swap (or Face Swap or Pet Swap), preview until it feels right, then order a printed A5 card or take the e-card. Printed cards are A5 folded (148×210mm), 330gsm gloss, envelope included, made to order in the UK, then 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. Halloween is the one that sneaks up: if you are reading this in late October, count working days carefully or download the e-card, a hi-res, watermark-free file. For a US address, Halloween 2026 is already inside the airmail window, so US shoppers will want that download this year. Start at Ottermagic.com.
You do not need a template labelled “pumpkin 14” or “egg 3” for the card to feel seasonal. A strong style plus a photo from that week is often enough.
Halloween: order while there are still working days
Halloween sits on 31 October. In 2026 that is a Saturday. Printed Ottermagic cards to UK addresses typically need around 3–5 working days with Royal Mail after you order. Weekends do not count. If you want paper in the house for trick-or-treat, order in the week before, not on the Thursday afternoon. Ottermagic does not promise same-day print.
If you have already missed that window, take the e-card and print it locally or send the image that evening.
Looks that read as Halloween without a plastic bat
- Tarot Card, when the household likes a theatrical, slightly spooky portrait
- Classic Cartoon and Cartoon, for kids’ costumes that should still look like the child
- Clay 3D, Bobblehead, and Action Figure, for novelty that remains a likeness
- Retro Halftone and Retro Game, if the night has a vintage-horror or pixel mood
- Photobooth, for the porch photo with the fake cobwebs
- Sketch, when you want a quieter adult card, still seasonal if the costume is in the photo
- Caricature, only if they already enjoy being teased
- Lucky Leprechaun, as a Face Swap-led costume scene when a finished illustration is the joke
Chibi, Emoji, Anime, Brick, Pixel Art, Sticker Sheet, Royal Portrait, and Watercolour are all live if they fit the person. Full list: 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.
Face Swap is often the Halloween mode people mean: their face in a finished scene. Style Swap is better when the costume in the photo is already the story, and you want them redrawn as Clay 3D or Cartoon. Pet Swap is for the dog in the pumpkin bandana, which is a serious genre.
Photos under porch light
Costume makeup, masks, and hats hide the landmarks Face Swap needs. Take one shot with the mask off and the face lit. Keep the costume in a Style Swap photo if you like; just show the eyes.
Children move. Take extras. A group of six trick-or-treaters will not become six good likenesses on one card. Make one card per child, or pick the child the card is for.
Easter: gentler, still from a photo
Easter cards are more spring kitchen than midnight porch. Watercolour, Sketch, Cartoon, Chibi, Photobooth, and Royal Portrait (for a slightly grand family gag) tend to fit. Emoji works for a short thank-you to whoever cooked. Brick and Action Figure can work for kids who would rather a figurine than a chick illustration.
You do not need a photo of people holding eggs. A clear Saturday-morning face is enough. If there is a chocolate-smeared toddler photo with visible eyes, Cartoon or Chibi will usually keep the charm.
Pet Swap is strong at Easter because animals get dressed up, then immediately regret it. Use a clear pet photo, whole animal in frame if you can.
Face Swap into a wild scene is optional. Easter Sunday with grandparents may want Sketch more than a costume template. Preview both if you are unsure.
Printed A5 is comfortable if you order with the 3–5 working day window. Bank holidays around Easter eat working days; add a buffer. The e-card covers the last-minute roast invitation.
US Easter notes: the US shop sends the printed A5 by airmail in around 2–3 weeks, so order about three weeks before Easter Sunday. Closer than that, take the e-card and print or send it locally.
Shared print facts (both seasons)
- 148×210mm folded (A5)
- 330gsm gloss, envelope included
- blank inside or a printed message
- printed to order in the UK
- Royal Mail around 3–5 working days to UK addresses; airmail around 2–3 weeks to US addresses
- recyclable stock, water-based inks
Posters and canvas are available if a Halloween portrait or an Easter family picture should hang. Check Ottermagic.com for live sizes. Checkout is in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
Text Swap remains available when you have no photo: a name on a designed card for a neighbour’s child, or a short “happy Easter” line. Other shops may have deeper seasonal text catalogues. If you have a photo, Style Swap, Face Swap, and Pet Swap are the keepable path.
Timing table
| When you need it | Halloween | Easter |
|---|---|---|
| A week or more before the day, UK address | Printed A5 | Printed A5 (watch bank holidays) |
| A few days before, still willing to wait | Read the live estimate at checkout | Same |
| The day before, or the day itself | E-card | E-card |
| US address | Printed A5 if you are three weeks or more ahead, otherwise e-card | Same |
| Something for a wall | Poster or canvas (check site), or print the e-card large | Same |
Halloween 2026 is Saturday 31 October. If you want a printed card for that weekend, order while the week still has working days in it. Easter’s date moves; count backwards from the Sunday you actually care about.
Who these cards are for
Kids. Cartoon, Chibi, Emoji, Pixel Art, Sticker Sheet. One child per card if you want a likeness.
Adults who still dress up. Tarot, Photobooth, Clay 3D, Face Swap scenes. Match the party, not a toddler template.
Family Easter. Watercolour, Sketch, Photobooth of the table. A 1 April photo is fine if it still looks like them.
Pets. Pet Swap, both seasons. The Halloween costume is optional; the face is not.
Late senders. E-card. The art can still be good when the post will not make it.
A photo checklist that works in both seasons
- Face the camera. Side profiles fight Face Swap.
- Light the face. Porch bulbs and chapel interiors are both dim.
- Keep hats and masks from covering the eyes if you need a likeness.
- Phone photos are fine. Recent beats a three-year-old pineapple costume.
- Retake rather than stretching a tiny crop.
If the preview is “almost”, change the photo before you change the holiday.
Ready when you are
Make an Easter or Halloween card that still looks like them. Upload a photo, try Style Swap, Face Swap, or Pet Swap, and stop when the preview feels seasonal and kind. Print an A5 card (148×210mm, 330gsm gloss, envelope; around 3–5 working days in the UK, 2–3 weeks by airmail in the US), order a poster or canvas, or take the e-card when October (or a bank holiday) has already eaten the working days. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
Can I make a Halloween card if it is already late October?
Yes, via the e-card. A printed A5 to a UK address needs around 3–5 working days with Royal Mail; for Saturday 31 October 2026, order print while the week still has working days, or download the file. Airmail to a US address takes around 2–3 weeks, so for a US Halloween card this year, use the e-card.
Do I need a Halloween-themed template?
No. A costume photo plus Tarot, Cartoon, Clay 3D, or Photobooth often reads as Halloween. Face Swap into a finished scene is the other route when you want the template to carry the spooky bit.
What styles suit Easter?
Watercolour, Sketch, Cartoon, Chibi, Photobooth, Emoji, and Royal Portrait are a sensible first pass. Use the same live list as Halloween; pick the temperature of the household.
Can US customers get a posted Easter or Halloween card?
Yes. The US shop sends the printed A5 by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks. That works for Easter if you order about three weeks ahead. For Halloween 2026 it is now too late, so take the e-card and print or send it locally.
Can I put my dog in a Halloween costume on the card?
Yes, with Pet Swap and a clear pet photo. If the costume hides the eyes, take one without it.
What if I have no photo?
Use Text Swap for a name or short seasonal line. If you can take a picture, Style Swap or Face Swap will usually make a more keepable front.
