Perform holiday card magic with the latest Microsoft Designer features

2/1/2025 UPDATE: The Microsoft Designer feature Restyle image is no longer available.

 

Hi, Microsoft 365 Insiders! ’Tis the season to spread happiness and cheer to friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and others, and there’s no easier way to do so than with a holiday card. If you forgot to tackle this yearly task until the last minute, or want to make it as headache-free as possible, we’ve got just the tool for you: Microsoft Designer.

With Microsoft Designer, creating a holiday card or holiday party invitation has never been simpler or more enjoyable. The latest updates to Microsoft Designer bring powerful features that will delight both novice and experienced designers, and allow everyone to infuse their unique style and charm into their creations.

Personalized invitations

Invitations in Microsoft Designer can take basic event information – including the time, date, location, and other important details – and turn it into a beautifully designed template that’s easily customizable and sharable on mobile devices. You can use this feature to speed up the card-making process, or spruce up an otherwise ordinary invite to your team’s holiday happy hour.

How it works

1. Open Microsoft Designer and navigate to Invitations.
2. Sign into your Microsoft account, or create one for free. 
3. If you see an invitation design you like, select it to customize the same prompt with your own event details.
4. To create a design from scratch, select the Description box and add your prompt, then select Generate.
5. Once you’re done editing your design, select Download to save the invitation to your desktop to print, email, or share on social media.

 

Sample prompt: Join us for a holiday housewarming party on Thursday, December 19 at 7 PM with gold and black balloons

 

Sample prompt: New Year’s party invite at Corkscrew & Cask with fireworks in the background

 

Learn more: Create personalized invitations with Microsoft Designer

Stylized images

Easily reimagine your favorite photos and visuals with customization options such as pop art, 3D, and papercraft. You can turn a bland family shot into an eye-popping work of art and instantly stand out from the crowd of generic holiday cards.

How it works

1. Open Microsoft Designer and navigate to Restyle Image.
2. Sign into your Microsoft account, or create one for free. 
3. Upload your photo, then select a style in the Style tab.
4. Add Background elements.
5. Select Generate and choose from one to four options.
6. Select Edit to add text or make changes, then Download to save, share, or print the image.

 

 

Sample prompt for the Background elements box: fireworks, nighttime, new year’s

 

Learn more: Transform photos with Restyle Image

Framed photos and collages

Add a gorgeous frame to any photo – all you have to do is specify a style, theme, or element, and AI will do the rest. With Collage Creator, you can combine several of your favorite portraits into a memorable collage and complete the scene with a holiday-spirited frame.

How it works

1. Open Microsoft Designer and navigate to Frame Image (for a single image) or Collage Creator (for up to 10 images).
2. Sign into your Microsoft account, or create one for free. 
3. Select Image(s)> Add image(s), then choose which image(s) you’d like to add a frame to or make a collage with.
4. On the Elements tab, specify the theme you want the collage or frame to have.
5. On the Style tab, select an additional artistic style.
6. Select Generate and choose your favorite option.
7. Select Edit to make any changes, then Download to save, share, or print the image.

 

Sample prompt for the Elements box: dogs, candy canes, snowflakes

 

Sample prompt for the Elements box: a wooden frame with pine needles and frost

 

Learn more: Give your photos a picture-perfect finish with Frame Image and Collage Creator

Custom greeting cards

The Greeting Cards feature is great for procrastinators because it does all the heavy lifting of making holiday letters by taking any text description you provide and generating a two-page card tailored to you, the recipient’s personality, a shared experience or interest, or the occasion. The world is your oyster (or Santa’s workshop) thanks to Designer’s AI.

How it works

1. Open Microsoft Designer and navigate to Greeting Cards.
2. Sign into your Microsoft account, or create one for free. 
3. If you see a greeting card design you like, select it to customize the same prompt with your own information.
4. To create a design from scratch, select the Description box and add your prompt, then select Generate.
5. Once you’re done editing your design, select Download to save the greeting card to your desktop to print, email, or share on social media.

 

Sample prompt: a holiday card with people ice skating on a cake

 

Sample prompt: a card with kittens playing with presents that reads “Happy Holidays”

 

Learn more: Create custom cards for any occasion with Greeting Cards

Availability

These features are available on the web to all Microsoft Designer users with a Microsoft account in English.

Feedback

We can’t wait to see the awe-inspiring holiday cards and invitations you envision with Microsoft Designer. Share your designs and feedback with us @MSFT365Designer on X or @msft365designer on Instagram using the hashtag #MicrosoftDesigner.

 

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