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Custom Holographic Card Maker

MakeACard creates custom holographic trading cards with animated CSS shimmer, rainbow gradients, and glow effects that react to mouse movement. Every card has a chance to pull Holo Rare (7%) or Secret Rare (3%) - both feature real-time holographic animations built entirely in CSS.

$420,000paid for a PSA 10 1st Edition Base Set Charizard holo in 2022Heritage Auctions

1996year holographic trading cards debuted in the Pokemon Base Set in Japan

The holographic effects that make collectors lose their minds. Digital holofoil that actually shimmers, glows, and shifts - not a static overlay, but real-time CSS animations that respond to interaction.

Create Your Card - Free See Examples

Free, no sign-upAI-generated artworkPrint-ready 300 DPI

How It Works

Three Steps. 30 Seconds.

No design skills needed. No prompt engineering. Upload a photo and the AI handles everything.

Upload a Photo

Choose any photo for your card. Higher-contrast subjects with vivid colors tend to produce the most striking holographic results.

AI Generates Your Card

Gemini AI creates original artwork, stats, and abilities from your photo. The card's visual treatment depends on the rarity roll - Holo Rare (7%) and Secret Rare (3%) unlock holographic effects.

See Your Holo Effects

If you pull Holo Rare or Secret Rare, your card displays animated CSS holographic effects - shimmer, rainbow borders, and glow. Move your mouse (or tilt your phone) to interact with the holofoil effect.

See the full process in detail

Features

What Makes This Card Type Special

Real-Time Holographic Shimmer

Holo Rare cards feature an animated diagonal shimmer that sweeps across the card surface continuously. The effect is built entirely in CSS - no video files, no performance cost, no loading delays.

Rainbow Gradient Borders

Secret Rare cards get animated rainbow borders that cycle through five colors: pink, purple, blue, green, and gold. The gradient rotates smoothly, creating the prismatic edge effect seen on premium physical cards.

Interactive Glow

On desktop, holo effects respond to mouse position - the shimmer shifts direction based on cursor location, similar to how physical holofoil cards catch light at different angles. On mobile, device tilt triggers the same effect.

5-Tier Rarity Odds

Holographic effects aren't guaranteed - they're earned through the rarity system. Common (50%) and Uncommon (30%) cards don't get holo effects. Rare (10%) gets subtle glow. Holo Rare (7%) gets full shimmer. Secret Rare (3%) gets everything.

CSS-Only Performance

All holographic effects use pure CSS animations and transforms. No WebGL, no canvas, no JavaScript animation loops. Cards render instantly and run at 60fps on any modern browser, including mobile Safari.

“The holographic card remains the most iconic visual element in trading card collecting. It transforms a piece of printed cardboard into something that feels genuinely magical.”
- Mitsuhiro Arita, Pokemon TCG Illustrator, The Pokemon Company

Rarity System

Every Card Gets a Rarity Roll

Just like opening a real booster pack. The rarity is randomly assigned at generation time. Higher rarities mean better stats and holographic visual effects.

Common

50%

Uncommon

30%

Rare

10%

Holo Rare

Secret Rare

Common

Clean design, solid baseline stats

Uncommon

Enhanced detail and stronger abilities

Rare

Premium art style, top-tier stats

Holo Rare

Animated holographic shimmer overlay

Secret Rare

Rainbow border, full holo, max stats

Full rarity guide with visual effects

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do the holographic effects work?

MakeACard's holo effects are built entirely in CSS using a combination of linear gradients, CSS animations (@keyframes), and mix-blend-mode overlays. The shimmer effect uses a diagonal gradient animation that sweeps across the card. The rainbow border uses an animated conic gradient. On desktop, JavaScript tracks mouse position and adjusts the gradient angle - similar to how physical holofoil catches light. No heavy assets, no video files.

Can I guarantee getting a holographic card?

No - rarity is randomly assigned at generation time. Holo Rare has a 7% chance and Secret Rare has a 3% chance. Combined, that's a 10% chance of getting any holographic card. You can generate up to 5 cards per day for free, giving you roughly a 41% chance of pulling at least one holo card across all five daily generations. The math: 1 - (0.9^5) = 0.41.

Do holographic effects work on mobile?

Yes. On mobile devices, the shimmer and rainbow animations play automatically via CSS keyframes. Some mobile browsers also support device orientation events, which means the holo effect responds to how you tilt your phone - mimicking the experience of tilting a physical holofoil card under light.

What's the difference between Holo Rare and Secret Rare?

Holo Rare (7% drop rate) gets an animated holographic shimmer overlay across the card artwork area. Secret Rare (3% drop rate) gets everything Holo Rare has, plus an animated rainbow gradient border, enhanced glow effects, and maximum stat values. Secret Rare cards are the visual crown jewels of any collection.

Can I print holographic cards?

You can print the card artwork and design at full quality (300 DPI, standard 2.5" × 3.5" size), but the animated holographic effects are digital-only - they exist in CSS and don't transfer to print. For a physical holo look, you could print on holographic cardstock or use holographic card sleeves. Check our card size guide for detailed printing instructions.

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Ready to Create Your Holographic Card?

Upload any photo and get a unique AI-generated trading card. Free, no sign-up, and every card has a chance to be Secret Rare.

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