If you want a Valentine card that looks like the two of you (or like one of you, drawn with a bit of care), Ottermagic is a calm way to get there. Upload a photo, run Style Swap or Face Swap, preview until it feels like them, then send it. Order a printed A5 card (148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included), 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, or take an e-card, a hi-res watermark-free download. Start at Ottermagic.com.
Valentine's week is noisy. A photo restyled into Watercolour or Sketch can sit on a mantel without competing with every pink slogan on the high street.
What you are actually sending
A shop-rack Valentine is a category. A Style Swap Valentine is a likeness.
Style Swap takes the photo and restyles it into a named look: Brick, Chibi, Anime, Watercolour, and the rest. Good when you want a portrait, not a costume.
Face Swap puts a face into a finished scene. Good when the joke or the romance is the setting, and you still want it to be their face.
Pet Swap belongs here more often than people admit. The cat who sleeps on both pillows is a legitimate Valentine subject.
Text Swap covers a name or a short line if you have no photo. If you can take a picture this week, use it.
You can leave the inside blank and write. You can add a printed message if the card is going straight to them. The front should do the looking. The inside can stay ordinary.
How to make a Valentine on Ottermagic
- Pick a photo you would both be happy to display. That test matters more on 14 February than on a random Tuesday.
- Upload it on Ottermagic.com.
- Try at least two looks. One softer (Watercolour, Sketch, Royal Portrait) and one more playful (Chibi, Photobooth, Clay 3D) is a useful pair, not a rule.
- Zoom the preview. Check eyes, glasses, and whether they still look like themselves.
- Order printed A5 if the post still fits (around 3–5 working days in the UK, 2–3 weeks to the US), or take the e-card.
Preview before you pay. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day). Checkout shows pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop.
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.
Tarot Card can be a knowing Valentine if they like a bit of theatre. Caricature can feel unkind if it leans on a feature they are self-conscious about. If you wince, pick Sketch.
Couples photos, without making it awkward
Valentine cards often start from a two-person picture. That can work. It can also melt into one face if the crop is tight and the light is bad.
Practical habits:
- Use a photo where both faces are visible and similar in size.
- Avoid heavy restaurant candlelight that turns everyone orange.
- If one person is in profile and the other is face-on, try a different frame.
- A single portrait of them (not of you) is a valid Valentine. You do not have to appear on the front.
- If you want two distinct portraits, two cards is allowed.
Face Swap wants a clean head more than a scenic city-break panorama. Crop to the face if the background is doing too much.
Tone: warm, not loud
Some couples want Action Figure and a private joke. Some want Watercolour and a sentence they would actually say at the table. Match the person, not the aisle.
Ideas that tend to feel affectionate rather than shouty:
- Watercolour or Sketch for a keepsake they might keep in a drawer
- Royal Portrait if they will take the pomp as love, not sarcasm
- Photobooth or Classic Cartoon for a lighter grin
- Clay 3D or Chibi if your house already has playful objects on the shelf
Lucky Leprechaun and other scene-led Face Swap looks can be a Valentine gag. Know whether they like gags on this particular day.
You do not need inflated language on the inside. “I like our Tuesday nights” beats a paragraph that sounds like a billboard.
Timing: February fills the post
Printed Ottermagic A5 cards are made to order in the UK and typically arrive in around 3–5 working days with Royal Mail. Valentine’s Day is a Sunday in some years and a weekday in others; count working days, and remember that the week before 14 February is busy for every carrier.
If you are late:
- Take the e-card and print it on decent paper, or send the file with a message so it does not feel like you forgot an envelope on purpose.
- Hand-deliver a printed card to your own address earlier in the week, write it, and give it on the day.
US buyers: the printed card goes by airmail in around 2–3 weeks, so order about three weeks ahead. Later than that, pay for the e-card, then print locally or share the image. You can type personalized, color, and favorite the way they spell them.
Posters and canvas are available if the portrait should go on a wall. Check Ottermagic.com for live wall-art details.
Print details and the e-card
| Path | Detail |
|---|---|
| Printed A5 | 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included, blank inside or printed message, printed to order in the UK, Royal Mail ~3–5 working days (UK) or airmail ~2–3 weeks (US), recyclable stock, water-based inks |
| E-card | Hi-res, watermark-free download after payment |
| Poster or canvas | Available; confirm sizes and fulfilment on the site |
Who this is for
Couples who have a photo they both like. People buying for a partner, a new relationship, or a long one. Friends sending a kind Face Swap to someone who would rather laugh than receive another generic heart.
Skip a face-led card if they would hate seeing themselves stylised. Text Swap or a non-photo design is the respectful exit.
Ready when you are
Upload a photo you are both willing to look at. Try Style Swap and Face Swap, and keep the preview that feels like a gift. Print A5 330gsm gloss with an envelope (posted in the UK, or by airmail to the US), order a poster or canvas, or take the e-card and print or send it locally. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
Can I make a Valentine card for my pet?
Yes. Pet Swap is built for that. A clear photo of the animal, then the same print or e-card choice.
Is a Face Swap Valentine tacky?
It can be, if the scene is mean or the photo is poor. A clear face in Watercolour, Sketch, or a well-chosen Photobooth usually reads as considered. Judge the preview.
How late can I order a printed UK Valentine?
Aim for at least around 3–5 working days before you need it, more if a weekend sits in the gap. If you are already inside that window, use the e-card.
Can US customers get a posted Ottermagic Valentine?
Yes. The US shop sends the printed A5 by airmail to US addresses, around 2–3 weeks door to door. If 14 February is closer than that, use the e-card and print or send the file.
Do I need design skills?
No. Upload, swap, preview, order. You choose the photo and the style.
Does Ottermagic work in a browser?
Yes. There is no need to install an app to make Style Swap or Face Swap for Valentine’s Day.
