Photo Christmas Cards: How to Pick the Right Photo (and When to Use a Filter)

Most photo Christmas cards are decided in the first five seconds: the person opening it looks at the faces, smiles or doesn't, and puts it on the mantelpiece. So the photo matters more than the design. Here's how to pick one that works, and when it's worth using a filter instead.

What makes a good card photo

• Faces you can see. A card is small: an A6 card is 10.5 × 14.8 cm. Everyone should be close enough to the camera that you can see their faces clearly. A group of eight on a distant hillside won't work.
• Daylight, not flash. Stand by a window or go outside on a bright, cloudy day. Flash makes skin look flat and eyes go red.
• Something festive, or nothing at all. A tree, lights, a snowy walk or a plain background all work. A messy kitchen counter behind you doesn't.
• The original file. Use the photo straight from your phone or camera, not a screenshot or a copy sent through WhatsApp, which loses detail.
• Leave some space. Your words sit on the front of the card, so a photo with a bit of sky or wall above everyone's heads gives them room.

As taken, or with a filter?

If you've got a lovely photo, use it as it is. Our photo card maker lets you keep the photo as taken, or give it a warm, black and white or vintage look, without changing anyone's face.

If your photo is fine but ordinary (a summer snap, nobody in Christmas clothes), that's where a Christmas filter helps. There are fifteen of them, including Christmas jumpers, Santa hats, reindeer antlers, a snow globe, a white Christmas, by the tree, a vintage Christmas card, a gingerbread family and a nativity play. The filter restyles the photo with AI and keeps your family recognisable, and you see the result before you pay. You get two free tries to see which one you like.

Or a card of your town

If you'd rather not have your family on the front, a card of a real local place in the snow works for everyone: neighbours, work, the people you only see at Christmas. You can make one from a photo of your town, or choose a ready-made pack from our Christmas cards of UK towns.

The practical bits

• Packs of 10 cards with envelopes, A6 or A5.
• Prices start at £14.95 for 10 A6 cards; filtered cards are £16.95.
• You write your own greeting for the inside, or leave it blank to write by hand.
• For UK delivery before Christmas, order by Monday 14 December, and earlier if you want time to write and post them. All our dates are in our Christmas last order dates.

Make your photo Christmas cards →