If you want a personalised dog or cat card that actually looks like your animal, Ottermagic Pet Swap is the direct path. Upload a clear photo, run Pet Swap (Style Swap if you already love the whole scene), preview until the markings still read as yours, then order a UK A5 or take the e-card. Dogs and cats fail in different ways: one will not sit still, the other will not look at you. A few photo habits fix most of that. This is a practical guide for those two species, for birthdays, Christmas, thank-yous, and cards that are notionally “from the dog”.
For a UK round-up against other pet-card shops, see best personalised pet cards UK. For PawArt and BoopBoops, see Ottermagic vs PawArt vs BoopBoops.
What Pet Swap is doing
Pet Swap makes your animal the star of a template, in a named live style. It is built for one pet in the upload. Style Swap restyles the entire photograph, which helps when the garden or the windowsill is part of the joke. Face Swap is for people in the same house. Text Swap can put a name on the front if you truly have no picture, which is rare in a home that owns a cat.
What you get: a keepable card that looks like your dog or cat, not a stock terrier.
How it works: upload, Pet Swap, preview, then printed A5 or e-card (hi-res, watermark-free download). Posters and canvas are offered from the same artwork; check Ottermagic.com for live wall-art details.
Good to know: UK A5 is 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, blank inside or a printed message, printed to order in the UK, posted with Royal Mail in around 3–5 working days, recyclable stock and water-based inks. Preview before you pay. Prices are in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
Start at Ottermagic.com.
Dog photos that work
Dogs offer motion, tongues, and a talent for blinking.
- Crouch. A ceiling-angle of the skull is a hard likeness.
- Wait for the pause between throws of the ball, not mid-leap, unless blur is the point (it is not).
- Black dogs need light. Stand with a window behind you, so their face is lit, not a silhouette against the garden.
- White dogs against snow or a white sofa lose edges. A coloured blanket under them is a cheap fix.
- Ears and eyes in frame. A snout-only crop becomes a generic muzzle after a restyle.
- Collars and bandanas are fine. Sunglasses on a dog are funny in the album and confusing for Pet Swap if they hide the eyes.
- One dog. If you have two, make two cards, or use Style Swap on a photo where both faces are large and sharp.
Breeds with a lot of forehead (pugs, some spaniels) still work. Get the eyes. Greyscale rescue-centre identity photos can work if they are sharp; a Facebook screenshot of a screenshot will not.
Cat photos that work
Cats offer loaves, squints, and rooms that are too dark.
- Daylight on a windowsill beats a flash that turns the eyes into coins.
- Shoot at their level. The coffee-table downward stare makes every cat look like a different loaf.
- Wait for the slow blink to finish so you get actual eyes.
- Ginger cats against orange cushions, black cats on black duvets, grey cats on concrete: change the background colour even if you only move a cushion.
- A hint of tail is nice. The face still has to be the subject.
- Two cats in a yin-yang sleep pile are a Style Swap job if both faces show; Pet Swap prefers one.
If they only look at you for a second, take a burst and pick the sharp frame. You do not need a studio. You need one honest face.
Styles that suit dogs, cats, and both
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.
Dogs often like bounce: Cartoon, Classic Cartoon, Clay 3D, Action Figure, Brick, Bobblehead, Pixel Art. A well-behaved portrait dog (the sighthound on a sofa, the old lab) can look lovely in Sketch or Watercolour.
Cats often like quiet: Watercolour, Sketch, Royal Portrait, Photobooth. They also look excellent in Cartoon and Clay 3D when the personality is chaos. Chibi and Anime are gentle for a kitten card.
Sticker Sheet and Retro Halftone are playful thank-yous. Tarot Card is an in-joke. Caricature can go unkind on a squashed face; preview closely. Lucky Leprechaun is people Face Swap energy; skip it unless you are combining a person and a pet by other means.
Try two styles. The first “cute” preview is not always the one that still looks like the white patch on the chest.
Occasions, including “from the dog”
Birthday. Cartoon or Clay 3D, printed A5 if you have the 3–5 working days, e-card if the party is tomorrow. Write inside as yourself, or as the pet if that is the household language (“Woof. I ate the wrapping. Happy birthday.”).
Christmas. A well-lit photo, not the fairy-light silhouette. Photobooth and Cartoon sit well on a mantel. In the US the printed card goes by airmail in around 2–3 weeks, so allow about three weeks before Christmas, then switch to the e-card.
Thank-you. Watercolour or Sketch, especially if the card is for a sitter, a vet team (keep it personal, not an official product), or a neighbour who feeds them. Short inside line.
Just because / from the dog. Pet Swap plus a printed message in the pet’s voice, if you enjoy that. Text Swap can add a name. The photo still does the heavy lifting.
Sympathy for an animal. Softer styles, a photo they looked well in, no Bobblehead. Preview with the person who is grieving in mind.
You can order more than one A5 once you like the art, or share the e-card. A poster or canvas is the “this animal runs the house” option; confirm sizes on the site.
Print versus e-card for pet people
Printed A5 is the object you can stand on a kitchen shelf. Envelope included. Blank inside if you want to write around paw-print asides.
The e-card is the path when the kitten’s birthday was only remembered this morning, or when the recipient lives in another country and you want it there today. Same Pet Swap. You print locally or send the image.
No same-day print. If you need paper today, download and use a local printer.
Ready when you are
Make a card that looks like your dog or your cat. Upload a daylight photo with the face large in the frame, run Pet Swap, and order when the markings match. Print UK A5 (148×210mm, 330gsm gloss, envelope, Royal Mail around 3–5 working days), take the e-card, or look at posters and canvas. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
Can I make a Pet Swap dog card and a Pet Swap cat card the same way?
Yes. Same mode, different photo habits (dogs: freeze the motion; cats: find the light). One animal per Pet Swap upload.
What photo do I need for a personalised dog card from a photo?
Eye-level, sharp, face lit, whole head in frame. Avoid a black dog in a dark hall and a running blur. A phone is enough.
What photo do I need for a personalised cat card from a photo?
Window light, their eye line, eyes open, a background that is not the same colour as the fur. Loaf poses are fine if the face is clear.
How long does a printed pet card take in the UK?
Around 3–5 working days with Royal Mail after you order. Read the checkout estimate. Use the e-card when that is too slow.
Can I put both the dog and the cat on one card?
Pet Swap is one pet per upload. A Style Swap of a photo that already shows both, with both faces large, is the practical workaround. Otherwise two cards.
Do I need design skills?
No. Upload, choose a style, preview, order. Text Swap is there if you only need a name. If you have a photo, Pet Swap is the reason to come.
