The fun of a Santa card is seeing their face under the hat, not a stranger from a clip-art pack. On Ottermagic, Face Swap is the mode for that: upload a clear, face-on photo, drop it onto a finished festive template, preview until it still looks like them, then order a printed A5 card or take the e-card. Printed cards are A5 folded (148×210mm), 330gsm gloss, envelope included, blank inside or with a printed message, printed 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. When the post will miss, the e-card (hi-res, watermark-free download) is ready to print or send straight away. This is a seasonal Face Swap guide, not a licensed-character shop.
Face Swap first, Style Swap when the photo is already Christmas
Face Swap puts their face into a scene that is already designed. That is the “them as Father Christmas” brief. You need a readable face: daylight, eyes visible, not a tiny crop from the back of a pub. Lucky Leprechaun is the live example of a costume-style Face Swap; festive templates work on the same idea. Browse live Face Swap designs on Ottermagic.com rather than assuming a particular hat from a film or a soda advert.
Style Swap restyles a photo they already took: the Christmas jumper picture, the kids by the tree, the dog in the snow. The whole snapshot becomes Brick, Cartoon, Watercolour, Clay 3D, Photobooth, Sketch, and so on. Use it when the photo is the scene and you want it drawn.
Pet Swap if the household believes the cat is the one who eats the mince pies.
Text Swap if you have no photo and still want “Happy Christmas, Mum” on a designed cover. If you can get a photo without spoiling the surprise, Face Swap or Style Swap will go further.
Ottermagic does not claim anyone else’s Father Christmas, movie Santa, or trademarked red-suit mascot. You are making an original card from your photo and Ottermagic’s own templates. If another site sells a licensed catalogue, that is their licence; check their shop.
Styles that sit well next to a Santa gag
Even when Face Swap is the hero, Style Swap looks are useful for the rest of the pile (neighbours, teachers, the cousin who would rather a portrait than a beard).
- Photobooth for a party strip energy
- Clay 3D and Bobblehead for a mantel joke
- Cartoon and Classic Cartoon for kids who still look at the front for a long time
- Chibi and Anime for a softer face
- Sketch and Watercolour for grandparents who want a quieter Christmas picture
- Action Figure and Brick if the family already plays on the rug on Boxing Day
- Royal Portrait if you want a straight-faced “state portrait” next to the tree
- Tarot Card if your table likes a bit of theatre (keep it light; it is still a greeting card)
- Lucky Leprechaun when a costume Face Swap is the brief and the live template fits
Full live 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.
Try Face Swap and one Style Swap on the same photo. Send the one that makes you laugh without feeling unkind.
Printed A5, e-card, and a US December
Printed A5
A Father Christmas Face Swap still needs to feel like a real card in the hand:
- 148×210mm folded
- 330gsm gloss
- envelope included
- blank inside or printed message
- printed to order in the UK
- Royal Mail typically around 3–5 working days to UK addresses
- airmail around 2–3 weeks to US addresses, so allow about three weeks before Christmas
- recyclable stock and water-based inks
Watch last posting dates. Ottermagic does not promise same-day print. If they leave for family on the 22nd, order earlier than you think.
Posters and canvas are available if the Santa portrait should hang in the hall. Check Ottermagic.com for live wall-art details. Do not assume another brand is the only place that can put a face on a wall.
E-card (when the post will miss)
Choose the e-card when post will miss (inside about 3–5 working days in the UK, or about three weeks in the US), or when you are sending a group WhatsApp. Download after payment, watermark-free, hi-res. Print on cardstock at a local shop, or show the image when they open a small wrapped thing.
Who these cards are for
Kids who will scream at a parent’s face in a beard (use a kind photo; tired-commute Face Swap can look stern).
Grown-ups who still hang cards: Style Swap Watercolour of the family, plus one Face Swap gag for the sibling who collects nonsense.
Secret Santa at a modest spend: one printed A5 is an object. Pair with something small if the rules allow. Keep the joke inside the styles above, not a private nickname they hate.
Pets in a hat they refused to wear: Pet Swap, then a printed card for the fridge.
How to get a face that still looks like them in a hat
- Take the photo at eye level, indoor lamp or window light.
- Skip heavy sunglasses unless the joke is the sunglasses.
- One face per Face Swap. Crop couples and generate twice if needed.
- If the beard-and-hat template swallows them, try Style Swap on a jumper photo instead.
- Preview at full size. Pay when you would put it on your own mantel.
Questions: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day). Prices are in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop.
Ready when you are
Upload a clear photo, try Face Swap for the Father Christmas / Santa scene, and order the printed A5 or the e-card when it looks like them. Start at Ottermagic.com.
FAQ
Can I put my face on a Coca-Cola Santa or a film Santa?
Ottermagic is not selling third-party licensed characters. Use Ottermagic’s own Face Swap templates and your photo. If you want a specific licensed design, that would be another retailer’s catalogue; check their site.
Is this the same as a Style Swap Christmas card?
Style Swap restyles your real Christmas photo. Face Swap places the face into a finished scene, which is the usual “Santa hat” request. You can use both in one December.
Do you post Santa cards in the US?
Yes. The US shop sends the printed A5 by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks, so order about three weeks before Christmas. After that, use the e-card and print or send the file.
Can the dog be Father Christmas?
Try Pet Swap with a clear pet photo. Results depend on the picture. Preview first.
What paper is the printed card?
A5 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, recyclable stock, water-based inks.
I only have their name, no photo.
Text Swap can still make a Christmas cover. Face Swap needs a face.
