If you want a deployment or welcome-home card that looks like them, Ottermagic starts with a photo they already like. Upload it, run Style Swap or Face Swap, preview until it feels like your person rather than a costume, then send a printed A5 card (148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included) or an e-card when post will miss. UK addresses get Royal Mail in around 3–5 working days; US addresses get airmail in around 2–3 weeks. Start at Ottermagic.com.
Keep the tone respectful. You are marking a real leaving or a real return, not playing dress-up with someone else's service.
What the card is for
Three moments show up again and again:
- About to deploy or already away: a card they can keep in a locker, a bag, or a photo on a phone.
- Coming home: something waiting on the table, or a file sent the morning they land.
- Welcome home gathering: a card people can sign, plus optional wall art of the same design for the house later.
Ottermagic is a card shop, not a military charity and not an official unit supplier. Use your own words. Do not add ranks, unit marks, or flags you are not sure about.
How it works: photo → Style Swap, Face Swap, Pet Swap (the dog who did the whole tour at home), or Text Swap if a face would feel like too much → preview → printed A5 or e-card.
Good to know: preview 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 UK post is around 3–5 working days with Royal Mail; US orders go by airmail and take around 2–3 weeks. The e-card is a hi-res, watermark-free download. Posters and canvas are available; 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.
Style Swap versus Face Swap for this occasion
Style Swap restyles the whole likeness into a named look. Sketch, Watercolour, and Royal Portrait stay dignified. Cartoon, Clay 3D, and Action Figure can work for a private joke inside the family, if that is how you already talk. Brick and Retro Game suit some households and look odd in others. Preview is the test.
Face Swap puts their face into a finished scene. That is fun for a birthday. For deployment it can feel like you turned their job into a movie poster. Use it when they would laugh, and when the template is affectionate. Skip it if you are sending to a parent who wanted a simple portrait.
Lucky Leprechaun is a named Face Swap-led look in the live set. It is a stretch for most welcome-home cards. Photobooth can fit a reunion party. Royal Portrait can fit a proud, slightly tongue-in-cheek "you're home" without going loud.
Pet Swap is often the card that actually gets stuck to a fridge: the dog, the cat, the horse. Homes run on pets during a tour.
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.
Photos that belong, and photos that do not
Use a picture they have already shared with family: a clear head-and-shoulders, daylight if you can, glasses on if they wear them. A ten-year-old photo will "work" and still feel like the wrong year.
Be careful with uniform photos. Some people love them. Some people are tired of being only the uniform. A weekend picture can be the kinder welcome-home front.
Do not upload official imagery, other people's children without consent, or anything that could identify a location they would rather keep quiet. A greetings card is not a briefing.
Kids' cards to a parent who is away work when the child's face is sharp. Take extras. Wriggling is normal.
UK families: posted A5 or e-card
If they are at a UK address and you have around 3–5 working days, the printed A5 is a solid object: gloss stock, envelope in the pack, your handwriting inside if you leave it blank.
If they are already travelling, or the homecoming is sooner than post, use the e-card. Print it at home, take it to a local shop, or send the file if that is how you already talk.
Ottermagic does not run a high-street kiosk outside a base. Printed cards are made to order in the UK and posted with Royal Mail.
US families: airmail print or e-card
For a US address, order the same printed A5 from the US shop. It is printed to order in the UK and sent by airmail, so allow around 2–3 weeks door to door. Standard post is untracked.
If the homecoming is less than about three weeks away, take the e-card instead. Make the same Style Swap or Face Swap, then download. Print at a local shop, fold it yourself, or show it on a tablet at the airport.
Posters and canvas remain part of Ottermagic's format list. US buyers should confirm on the site whether those formats are offered to them.
Words inside
Short is better.
- Use the name they actually use at home.
- "Proud of you" is fine if you mean it; empty slogans are easy to spot.
- Mention the dog, the school play, the meal you will cook.
- Leave space for kids to draw if they want.
Avoid inventing operational details. Avoid jokes about not coming back. Welcome-home cards can be messy with relief and tiredness; the front can still be gentle.
After they are home
The same artwork can become a poster or canvas for a hallway, if they want it. Check live wall-art details on Ottermagic.com. Do not surprise someone with a huge portrait of themselves in uniform unless you know they would like that.
A second, quieter Style Swap in Sketch can be the private card. The louder Cartoon can be the one the cousins sign. You are allowed two cards.
Ready when you are
Pick a photo they already like, try a style that matches how your family actually talks, and preview until it feels like home. Print UK A5 330gsm gloss with an envelope, download the e-card, or order a poster or canvas of the same design. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
Can I send a printed Ottermagic card to a US base?
Yes, if the base has a US address: the US shop sends printed A5 cards by airmail, around 2–3 weeks door to door. When the date is closer than that, the e-card reaches them the moment you pay; print or share the file. For an overseas military address, email support@ottermagic.com before you order.
Is Face Swap respectful for a welcome home?
It can be, if they like the scene. If you are unsure, Style Swap in Sketch or Watercolour is the calmer front.
What about the family pet?
Pet Swap is a first-class Ottermagic path. Upload a clear photo of the whole animal. It is often the card that gets kept.
Can I leave the inside blank for the whole family to sign?
Yes. Blank inside or a printed message.
Do you partner with the armed forces?
Ottermagic is a card shop, not a military charity and not an official unit supplier. You are buying a personal card.
How long does UK print take?
Typically around 3–5 working days with Royal Mail after you order. Working days skip weekends and UK bank holidays.
