Everything About MakeACard

MakeACard uses Google's Gemini AI in a two-stage pipeline. First, Gemini Vision analyzes your photo, identifying the subject, features, and context. It generates card metadata: a creative name, Pokemon type, HP, two abilities with damage values, and flavor text. Then Gemini Image Generation creates original card artwork inspired by (but not copying) your photo. The whole process runs in about 20-30 seconds. It's not a filter or template overlay; every card gets genuinely new AI-generated artwork.

Yes. MakeACard is free with a daily limit of 5 card generations per user. Each generation creates one complete trading card with AI-generated artwork, stats, abilities, flavor text, and a random rarity assignment. No credit card required, no sign-up needed to start. Just upload a photo and go.

No account is required to generate cards. You can upload a photo and create a card immediately. However, signing in (via Google OAuth) lets you save cards to a persistent collection, track your rarity stats, and access your cards across devices. Without an account, your cards exist only in your current browser session.

Clear, well-lit photos with a single main subject produce the best cards. Portraits (people, pets, even plush toys) work especially well because the AI can identify distinct features and generate contextually relevant abilities. Action shots create dynamic ability sets. Group photos work but the AI may focus on one subject. Minimum recommended resolution is 512×512 pixels. Avoid blurry, extremely dark, or very busy images.

Gemini AI analyzes your photo's subject to generate contextually relevant stats. A photo of a cat might get abilities like "Shadow Stalk" (30 damage) and "Nine Lives" (heals 20 HP). A photo of someone cooking could get "Flame Sear" and "Culinary Mastery." The AI reads visual cues (clothing, setting, expression, species) and maps them to Pokemon-type abilities. HP and attack damage also scale with rarity: Secret Rare cards have higher base stats than Common cards.

Every card gets genuinely original artwork created by Gemini's image generation model. MakeACard does not paste your photo onto a pre-made template or apply an art filter. The AI interprets your subject and creates new card art in a Pokemon-inspired style. Two uploads of the same photo will produce different artwork, names, and abilities each time. The only templated element is the card frame itself (the border, HP area, attack layout); the actual art is unique.

Not directly, and that's intentional. The Pokemon type (Fire, Water, Psychic, etc.) and abilities are chosen by the AI based on what it detects in your photo. You can't override these manually. This mirrors the surprise element of opening a real booster pack. That said, you can influence results by choosing photos strategically: a beach photo is more likely to get Water type, a photo near flames will probably get Fire type.

AI image generation quality varies based on the input photo and the subject matter. Clear, high-contrast photos with recognizable subjects (a person's face, a pet, a distinct object) tend to produce better artwork. Abstract scenes, very dark photos, or images with lots of visual noise give the AI less to work with. The model also handles some art styles better than others: it excels at character-focused art and can struggle with complex scenes. If a card doesn't turn out great, try again with a different photo or angle.

Every card gets a weighted random rarity assignment at generation time. The odds are: Common (50%), Uncommon (30%), Rare (10%), Holo Rare (7%), Secret Rare (3%). These odds are fixed and apply equally to every generation. The same photo can produce different rarities on separate generations. There's no way to manipulate or game the odds. It's pure weighted randomization, similar to real TCG booster pack distributions.

Holo Rare cards (7% odds) feature an animated holographic shimmer overlay that responds to mouse movement on desktop or device tilt on mobile. The shimmer effect covers the card artwork area. Secret Rare cards (3% odds) go further: they get the holographic shimmer plus an animated rainbow border effect, higher base stats, and maximum visual treatment. The effects are CSS-based with no video files and no performance cost. They just look premium.

Pack opening lets you generate 5 cards at once with an animated reveal sequence. Each card in the pack gets its own independent rarity roll using the standard odds (50/30/10/7/3). The probability of pulling at least one Rare or better from a 5-card pack is roughly 67%. Getting a Secret Rare in a pack happens about 14% of the time. Pack opening uses your daily generation quota: one pack costs 5 of your 5 daily generations.

Truly random. Rarity is assigned via server-side weighted randomization at the moment of card generation. The photo content, time of day, account status, number of previous generations: none of these affect the odds. Common is 50%, Uncommon is 30%, Rare is 10%, Holo Rare is 7%, Secret Rare is 3%. Every single generation. You can't game it, and that's what makes pulling a Secret Rare genuinely exciting.

Yes. Cards are generated at standard trading card dimensions: 2.5" × 3.5" (63.5mm × 88.9mm) at 300 DPI, which is the industry standard for print-ready output. You can download the card image and print at home on cardstock, or send it to a professional print service like MakePlayingCards.com or PrinterStudio. The cards fit standard card sleeves (penny sleeves, Dragon Shield, Ultra Pro) and toploaders.

For the best results, use 80lb (216 gsm) or heavier cardstock with a matte or glossy finish. Glossy photo paper (like HP Premium Plus) gives the most vibrant colors and a professional feel. Standard printer paper (20lb) works for prototyping but feels too thin. Print at 300 DPI, actual size (2.5" × 3.5"), and cut carefully. For a real trading card feel, laminate the prints or slide them into penny sleeves with a bulk card behind them for rigidity.

Card downloads are PNG files at 300 DPI. PNG preserves quality without compression artifacts, which matters for the fine details in card artwork and text. The file dimensions match the standard trading card aspect ratio (2.5:3.5). The holographic and rainbow border effects visible in the browser are CSS animations and do not appear in the static download. The downloaded card is the base artwork without animated overlays.

The free tier allows 5 card generations per day per user. A pack opening (5 cards at once) counts as 5 generations. The daily limit resets at midnight UTC. Each generation produces one complete card with unique AI-generated artwork, stats, abilities, and a rarity roll. The limit exists because each generation calls Google's Gemini API, which has per-request costs.

MakeACard works in all modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge (latest two versions of each). It's fully responsive. The card generator, collection view, and pack opening all work on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop. The holographic card effects use CSS animations and work everywhere, though the mouse-tracking shimmer effect on Holo Rare cards degrades to a static shimmer on mobile (device tilt support varies by browser).

Photos are sent to Google's Gemini API for processing and are not stored permanently on MakeACard's servers. The generated card images are stored for your collection if you're signed in, but the original uploaded photos are discarded after generation. MakeACard does not sell or share your data. The cards in your collection are tied to your account and are not publicly visible unless you explicitly share them.

With the free tier's 5-per-day limit, bulk creation requires planning ahead. For a birthday party with 20 guests, you'd need 4 days of generating. Each card is unique since the AI creates original artwork every time, so even if multiple guests upload similar photos, every card will be different. For corporate events or large parties, consider generating over several days leading up to the event.

No. MakeACard is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, Game Freak, or Creatures Inc. The cards are created in a Pokemon-inspired visual style using AI generation, but they are not official Pokemon products. MakeACard creates original artwork and does not reproduce copyrighted Pokemon characters. Generated cards cannot be sold as official merchandise.