⚡ Photo to superhero
Turn your photo into a superhero
No app, no design skills. Upload a photo in your browser, choose an art style and a super-power, and in under a minute the AI creates an original superhero that's recognisably you. Free to make; only pay if you want it printed.
What actually happens
How the AI turns a photo into a hero
1. It finds the faces
Your photo is scanned for faces on your device first, so you can pick who to feature: one person, or several from a group shot.
2. It keeps your likeness
The AI is instructed to preserve the features that make you recognisable (face shape, eyes, hair, expression) while redrawing you in the style you chose.
3. It invents an original hero
Costume, colours, setting and effects are generated around your chosen power. Never a copy of an existing superhero or a real logo.
4. It checks the result
A second AI scores the design for likeness and print quality. If it isn't good enough to print, you're told why and can try again. 5 free designs a day.
Photo guide
Which photos work best
The AI can only keep what it can see. Ninety per cent of a great result is the photo.
Use
- A sharp photo where the face is clearly visible and roughly facing the camera.
- Even light: daylight, or a bright room without a window behind you.
- A normal phone photo. Selfies are fine.
- Whatever expression you want the hero to have: it carries through.
Avoid
- Sunglasses, heavy filters, face paint, hands over the face.
- Faces that are tiny in the frame, blurred, or in deep shadow.
- Extreme angles (looking away, straight down at the phone).
- Screenshots or photos of photos: use the original file.
Glasses are kept if you wear them in the photo. Hats and headwear are usually replaced by the costume. Beards, hair colour and hair length carry through.
Your choices
14 styles, 11 powers
Styles: Comic Hero, Neon Hero, Cyberpunk Hero, Anime Hero, Galactic Peacekeeper, Shōnen Warrior, Ninja Anime, Fantasy Mage, Cinematic Hero, Dark Crusader, Medieval Epic, Classic Storybook, Modern Animation and Steampunk Explorer. See the gallery for examples of most of them.
Powers: Lightning, Fire, Ice, Telekinesis, Speed, Energy, Magic, Nature, Shadow, Gravity, or Mixture for a bit of everything. The power shapes the effects, pose and lighting.
Every combination gives a different hero, and the same photo in two styles gives two different characters. Because you get 5 free designs a day, most people try two or three before ordering.
Your photo
What happens to your picture
Your photo is used to create the artwork and isn't kept in any gallery or used to train anything. The artwork stays in your account until you delete it. Only a watermarked preview is ever visible outside your account; the clean, print-quality file stays private and is used just for your garment. Payments are handled by Stripe, so we never see your card details. Full details are in the privacy policy.
Then wear it
From screen to garment
Happy with a design? Choose a garment, size and colour and check out. T-shirts from £19.99, sweatshirts from £29.99, hoodies from £39.99, in black or white, for adults and children from age 3. Everything is printed to order at a UK print facility and delivered in 3 to 7 working days; UK delivery is £3.99 and free over £35. Damaged or misprinted? Free reprint or full refund within 30 days.
Real AI designs
The same idea, nine ways
Real designs, each from an ordinary photo, in a different art style.
Answers
Photo to superhero questions
Is it free to turn my photo into a superhero?
Yes. Creating a design is free with a free account, up to 5 designs a day (more if you refer friends). You only pay if you decide to have a design printed on a t-shirt, sweatshirt or hoodie, from £19.99.
Do I need to download an app?
No. It works in your phone or computer browser at heromerch.co.uk. Upload a photo, choose a style and a power, and the design appears on the page in under a minute.
Will the superhero look like me?
Yes. The AI is instructed to keep the features that make you recognisable, then redraws you in the chosen style, and a second check scores the likeness before you can order. A sharp, well-lit, front-facing photo gives the best result.
Can I use a group photo or make a design of someone else?
Yes. Upload the photo and pick which faces to feature: one person, a couple, or siblings together. You can make a design of anyone whose photo you have, which is how most gifts are made. For children, you confirm you're their parent or guardian or have permission.
Why did my design fail the quality check?
Usually because the likeness wasn't strong enough (small or dark face in the photo), the image wasn't sharp enough to print well, or the design came out too close to an existing character. The message tells you which, and you can generate again with a better photo or a different style.
What happens to my photo afterwards?
It's used only to create the artwork and isn't kept in any gallery or used for anything else. The artwork stays in your account until you delete it, only a watermarked preview is ever visible outside your account, and the print-quality file stays private.
Can I get the artwork on its own, without a garment?
Not at the moment: Hero Merch is built around wearing the design, so the clean print file is used for your garment and the preview you see is watermarked. If you'd like a print-only option, tell us at [email protected] and we'll let you know if it launches.
More ideas
See yourself as a superhero
Free to try. Upload a photo, pick a style and a power, and meet your hero in under a minute.
⚡ Try it with your photo