You already have the picture. It is on the phone in your pocket, probably from a birthday lunch or a walk where the light was accidentally good. On Ottermagic you upload that photo, pick Style Swap, Face Swap, or Pet Swap and a live style, preview until it looks like them, then order a printed A5 card or an e-card. Printed cards are 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included and made to order in the UK: 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. Anyone in a hurry should take the e-card: a hi-res, watermark-free download you can print locally or send as a file. You do not need a desktop, a design app, or a studio portrait.
What you need before you open the site
- The phone you took the picture on, or any phone that has the file (AirDrop, WhatsApp, Google Photos is fine).
- A subject you can see: eyes, face shape, or a pet that is actually in the frame.
- Two minutes of decent signal.
- A rough idea of the occasion so you know whether post will arrive in time.
You do not need to crop on the phone first unless the shot is a busy group and you already know who the card is for. Ottermagic’s on-screen guidance covers Face Swap crops. Style Swap uses the whole photo.
A screenshot of someone on a video call is a weak start. The original camera roll file is better.
Step 1: Get a clear phone photo (or retake it in one minute)
Stand them near a window. Overcast daylight is kinder than a kitchen downlight. Ask them to look at the lens, not at the TV behind you. One main person is easier than four overlapping cheeks.
For pets, crouch. Wait until they stop moving. Black cats need a lamp.
If the only decent picture is a year old but sharp, use it. If the only recent picture is a dark pub selfie, walk them to the door and take another. The restyle can only work with what you give it.
Phone cameras are enough. Most Ottermagic cards start this way. You are not failing for lack of a DSLR.
Step 2: Pick a mode
Style Swap if you want the whole photo redrawn as Brick, Chibi, Anime, Watercolour, Clay 3D, Cartoon, Photobooth, Sketch, Pixel Art, or another live look. This is the default for a birthday snap of one person, or a couple who are both clearly visible.
Face Swap if the fun is a finished scene and their face belongs in it. Lucky Leprechaun is the named example of that costume-style template. You want a face-on head, hair in frame, glasses visible if they wear them.
Pet Swap if the card is for (or of) the animal. Whole body helps.
Text Swap if you genuinely have no photo and still want a designed name or line. If you can get a picture, use it.
You can try more than one mode with the same upload. Keep the preview you would actually hand over.
Step 3: Pick a live style and generate
Open the design on Ottermagic.com. Upload from the phone (the file picker on iOS and Android will show Recents). Generate.
If Brick feels too toy-like, try Sketch or Watercolour. If Sketch feels too quiet for a thirtieth, try Action Figure or Caricature. Emoji, Classic Cartoon, Retro Halftone, Retro Game, Royal Portrait, Bobblehead, Sticker Sheet, Tarot Card, and Clay 3D are all in the live set. You are allowed to dislike the first result. That is what preview is for.
Zoom in. Check both eyes. If the likeness is “almost”, a second photo usually helps more than a third style.
Step 4: Choose a printed card or an e-card
Printed A5 (UK or US)
Choose this when you have time for the post and you want an object: folded 148×210mm, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, blank inside or a printed message, recyclable stock, water-based inks. The UK shop posts it with Royal Mail in around 3–5 working days; the US shop sends it by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks. You can write in it on the bus to their house.
Posters and canvas are available if the phone photo looks so good you want it on a wall. Check Ottermagic.com for live wall-art details. Do not copy the A5 envelope timeline onto a large print without reading the page.
E-card (last-minute, or anywhere)
The sold option is the e-card: hi-res, watermark-free download after payment. Use it when:
- the birthday is tomorrow
- the card is for a US address and the date is less than about three weeks away
- they live in another country and you want it there today
- you want to print the file at a local shop yourself
US spelling in the message (personalized, color) is fine if that is how they write. Checkout is in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
On the site, the digital download is the e-card.
Doing the whole thing on a phone, without getting stuck
Use Safari or Chrome, not an in-app browser inside Instagram if you can help it (those sometimes fight file uploads). Stay on the product page until the preview appears. If the upload looks tiny, you may have picked a thumbnail; choose the original.
When the preview is right, add the A5 or the e-card to the basket from the same screen. You do not need to email the file to yourself first.
If you are standing in their kitchen secretly making the card, headphones and a quiet corner help. The generating wait is short enough to do while the kettle boils.
Timing and US shoppers
Printed cards take around 3–5 working days to a UK address and around 2–3 weeks by airmail to a US one, so plan for that rather than a same-day letterbox. US shoppers with less than about three weeks to go should download the e-card.
If the preview looks wrong, retake. If the date is tight, take the e-card. If you want the design on a wall, posters and canvas are listed on Ottermagic; photo labs are not the only place for that.
Ready when you are
You can turn the photo already on your phone into a card they will recognise. Upload it, choose Style Swap, Face Swap, or Pet Swap and a live style, and keep the preview you like. Order an A5 330gsm gloss card with an envelope for a UK or US address, or take the e-card wherever you are. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
Can I make an Ottermagic card entirely from my iPhone or Android?
Yes. Upload from the camera roll, preview, and check out. A laptop is optional.
What if my phone photo is a screenshot?
Use the original if you have it. Screenshots of other screens pick up pixels and glare. A fresh photo by a window is a better five-minute job.
How do I send a card to someone who is not in the UK?
The e-card reaches them the moment you pay: download it and send the file, or they can print it locally. Printed A5 cards go to UK addresses with Royal Mail in around 3–5 working days, and the US shop sends them by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks. For printed delivery to another country, email support@ottermagic.com.
Can I put the phone photo on a poster instead of a card?
Ottermagic offers posters and canvas as well as A5 cards and the e-card. Check the site for live wall-art details.
Which mode should I pick if I only have a group shot from a phone?
Crop to the person the card is for, especially for Face Swap. Style Swap can cope with a couple if both faces are similar in size and in focus. Retake one dedicated frame if you can.
Is Text Swap useful on a phone?
Yes, if you have no photo. Type the name, skip the camera roll. If you later find a picture, come back and run Style Swap on it.
