What is a placeholder image and when should I use one?

A placeholder image is a temporary image used during development, prototyping, or content migration before final images are ready. Use placeholders when designing layouts, testing responsive designs, creating wireframes, or building MVPs. They show clients or stakeholders how images will fit without requiring final photography. Popular services like Lorem Picsum and Unsplash Source provide randomized placeholders, while tools like this generator create custom-sized placeholders with specific colors and text labels.

What are the standard placeholder image sizes for web design?

Common sizes: 300×300px (thumbnails), 500×500px (medium squares), 1200×630px (Facebook/blog featured images), 1080×1080px (Instagram posts), 1080×1920px (Instagram stories), 1280×720px (YouTube thumbnails), 1920×1080px (full HD hero images), and 400×400px (profile pictures). For responsive design, use multiple sizes with srcset. Social media platforms have specific dimension requirements — Twitter cards use 1200×675px (16:9), LinkedIn posts use 1200×627px. Always design at 2x resolution for retina displays (e.g., 2400×1260px).

Should I use PNG, SVG, or data URL for placeholder images?

Use SVG for smallest file size and infinite scalability — ideal for simple placeholders with text and solid colors. SVG files are often 1-5KB compared to 50-200KB for PNG. Use PNG when you need raster image compatibility or are testing image processing workflows. Use data URLs to embed small placeholders directly in HTML/CSS, eliminating HTTP requests (good for email templates or inline styles). For production websites, avoid placeholders entirely — use lazy loading with low-quality image placeholders (LQIP) or blur-up techniques instead.

How do I use a placeholder image in HTML and CSS?

In HTML: . For data URL: . In CSS background: background-image: url("placeholder.png"); or background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,..."); For responsive images, use srcset: . Popular placeholder services: placehold.co/300x300, picsum.photos/300/300, via.placeholder.com/300x300.

What are the best placeholder image services and tools?

Popular services: Lorem Picsum (picsum.photos) provides random real photos, placehold.co generates custom text placeholders via URL (placehold.co/600x400/png), Unsplash Source (source.unsplash.com) serves random Unsplash photos, dummyimage.com creates simple colored placeholders, and pravatar.cc provides avatar placeholders. For offline/development, use tools like this generator to create custom placeholders with specific branding colors. For production, replace placeholders with real images — services like Cloudinary, Imgix, or ImageKit optimize and deliver images efficiently.

How do I create placeholder images in bulk for prototyping?

Use placeholder services with URL parameters: Lorem Picsum (picsum.photos/300/200) generates images dynamically, placehold.co/300x200 creates simple placeholders. For local development, generate a set using this tool and download them. For automation, use ImageMagick CLI: "convert -size 300x200 xc:#cccccc -pointsize 20 -draw 'text 100,100 "300x200"' placeholder.png". For React/Vue projects, use libraries like react-placeholder or vue-content-placeholders. Figma and Sketch have placeholder plugins that generate images directly in designs.

What file size should placeholder images be?

Placeholder images should be as small as possible since they are temporary. SVG placeholders are typically 1-3KB. PNG placeholders should be under 20KB — use low-quality compression (50-60%) and minimal dimensions. For prototypes, 300×300px is sufficient for most use cases. Avoid using large (1MB+) placeholder images, as they slow development and testing. When deploying, replace placeholders with optimized final images compressed using tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or WebP conversion. For production, use lazy loading to defer image loading until needed.

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Placeholder Image Generator

A placeholder image generator creates temporary images for web design, prototyping, and development. Generate custom-sized images (1px to 4000px) with any background/text color, display dimensions or custom text, and export as PNG, SVG, or data URL. Common sizes: 300×300px (thumbnails), 1200×630px (social media), 1920×1080px (hero images). SVG placeholders are 1-3KB; PNG should be under 20KB. Replace with optimized final images before production.

Generate placeholder images instantly with custom dimensions, colors, and text. Perfect for web designers and developers. Export as PNG, SVG, or data URL. Free online tool with social media presets.

Works OfflineDark ModeNo Ads

Image Dimensions

Width (px):Height (px):

Quick Presets:

Colors

Background:Text:

Custom Text (Optional)

Output Format

Preview

Download PNG

How to Use

Enter your value in the input field
Click the Calculate/Convert button
Copy the result to your clipboard

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a placeholder image and when should I use one?: A placeholder image is a temporary image used during development, prototyping, or content migration before final images are ready. Use placeholders when designing layouts, testing responsive designs, creating wireframes, or building MVPs. They show clients or stakeholders how images will fit without requiring final photography. Popular services like Lorem Picsum and Unsplash Source provide randomized placeholders, while tools like this generator create custom-sized placeholders with specific colors and text labels.
What are the standard placeholder image sizes for web design?: Common sizes: 300×300px (thumbnails), 500×500px (medium squares), 1200×630px (Facebook/blog featured images), 1080×1080px (Instagram posts), 1080×1920px (Instagram stories), 1280×720px (YouTube thumbnails), 1920×1080px (full HD hero images), and 400×400px (profile pictures). For responsive design, use multiple sizes with srcset. Social media platforms have specific dimension requirements — Twitter cards use 1200×675px (16:9), LinkedIn posts use 1200×627px. Always design at 2x resolution for retina displays (e.g., 2400×1260px).
Should I use PNG, SVG, or data URL for placeholder images?: Use SVG for smallest file size and infinite scalability — ideal for simple placeholders with text and solid colors. SVG files are often 1-5KB compared to 50-200KB for PNG. Use PNG when you need raster image compatibility or are testing image processing workflows. Use data URLs to embed small placeholders directly in HTML/CSS, eliminating HTTP requests (good for email templates or inline styles). For production websites, avoid placeholders entirely — use lazy loading with low-quality image placeholders (LQIP) or blur-up techniques instead.
How do I use a placeholder image in HTML and CSS?: In HTML: <img src="placeholder-300x300.png" alt="Placeholder" width="300" height="300">. For data URL: <img src="data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg..." alt="Placeholder">. In CSS background: background-image: url("placeholder.png"); or background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,..."); For responsive images, use srcset: <img src="placeholder-300x300.png" srcset="placeholder-600x600.png 2x" alt="Placeholder">. Popular placeholder services: placehold.co/300x300, picsum.photos/300/300, via.placeholder.com/300x300.
What are the best placeholder image services and tools?: Popular services: Lorem Picsum (picsum.photos) provides random real photos, placehold.co generates custom text placeholders via URL (placehold.co/600x400/png), Unsplash Source (source.unsplash.com) serves random Unsplash photos, dummyimage.com creates simple colored placeholders, and pravatar.cc provides avatar placeholders. For offline/development, use tools like this generator to create custom placeholders with specific branding colors. For production, replace placeholders with real images — services like Cloudinary, Imgix, or ImageKit optimize and deliver images efficiently.
How do I create placeholder images in bulk for prototyping?: Use placeholder services with URL parameters: Lorem Picsum (picsum.photos/300/200) generates images dynamically, placehold.co/300x200 creates simple placeholders. For local development, generate a set using this tool and download them. For automation, use ImageMagick CLI: "convert -size 300x200 xc:#cccccc -pointsize 20 -draw 'text 100,100 "300x200"' placeholder.png". For React/Vue projects, use libraries like react-placeholder or vue-content-placeholders. Figma and Sketch have placeholder plugins that generate images directly in designs.
What file size should placeholder images be?: Placeholder images should be as small as possible since they are temporary. SVG placeholders are typically 1-3KB. PNG placeholders should be under 20KB — use low-quality compression (50-60%) and minimal dimensions. For prototypes, 300×300px is sufficient for most use cases. Avoid using large (1MB+) placeholder images, as they slow development and testing. When deploying, replace placeholders with optimized final images compressed using tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or WebP conversion. For production, use lazy loading to defer image loading until needed.