Placeholder Image Generator

What Is a Placeholder Image?

A placeholder image is a temporary image used during web development and design to represent the real image that will be placed later. Instead of leaving an empty gap or broken <img> tag, placeholder images:

• Show the exact dimensions the final image should have
• Use a solid background color to make the element visible in the layout
• Display the dimensions or a label so developers know what content goes there
• Help with layout verification before real content is ready

Placeholder images are essential for prototyping, wireframing, mockups, and any project where real images are unavailable yet.

How to Use the Placeholder Image Generator

1. Choose a preset or enter custom width and height values (1–9999 px)
2. Pick colors — select background and text colors with the color picker or type a hex code (e.g. #cccccc)
3. Customize text — enter a custom label, or leave blank to show dimensions automatically (e.g. 300×200)
4. Adjust font size — use Auto to fit text automatically, or enter a specific pixel size
5. Preview the image in real-time
6. Download as SVG or PNG, or copy the SVG code / img HTML tag

Available Quick Presets

SVG vs PNG — Which Format Should I Use?

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)

• Resolution-independent — looks crisp at any size, no pixelation
• Tiny file size — typically under 1 KB even for large dimensions
• Editable — the SVG code can be modified in a text editor or design tool
• Inline-able — embed directly in HTML via data URI without any external file
• Best for: web development, mockups, any use case where you control the rendering environment

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

• Universal compatibility — supported everywhere including email clients and legacy software
• Bitmap format — fixed pixel dimensions
• File size grows with dimensions — a 1920×1080 PNG is much larger than the equivalent SVG
• Best for: email templates, design tools that don’t support SVG, documentation screenshots

Using the Data URI in HTML

The generated placeholder can be embedded directly in HTML using a data URI — no external file, no server required:

<img
  src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D..."
  width="300"
  height="200"
  alt="placeholder"
/>

This approach works completely offline and requires zero network requests. It is ideal for:

• Email-safe HTML
• Static HTML prototypes shared as single files
• Offline documentation

SVG Placeholder Code Example

A typical generated SVG looks like this:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="300" height="200" viewBox="0 0 300 200">
  <rect width="300" height="200" fill="#cccccc"/>
  <text
    x="150"
    y="100"
    font-family="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
    font-size="40"
    fill="#333333"
    text-anchor="middle"
    dominant-baseline="middle"
  >300×200</text>
</svg>

You can copy this SVG code and paste it directly into your HTML, or save it as a .svg file.

Common Use Cases

Web Development & Prototyping

Use placeholder images to test layouts before real assets are ready. Set exact dimensions to match your design specifications and verify that spacing, aspect ratios, and responsive breakpoints work correctly.

Design Mockups & Wireframes

Generate placeholders that match your component sizes — avatar circles, card thumbnails, hero banners — so stakeholders can review the structure without waiting for final photography or illustrations.

Open Graph & Social Images

Create 1200×630 placeholders for Open Graph metadata while your social media images are being designed. This prevents broken previews when sharing links on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Slack.

API Documentation & README Files

Embed a placeholder in documentation to show where an image would appear in the UI, without including a real screenshot that may become outdated.

Email Templates

PNG placeholders work reliably in email clients (HTML emails have limited SVG support). Generate a PNG at the exact pixel dimensions your email template expects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What dimensions can I use? Any integer from 1 to 9999 pixels for both width and height. Use the preset buttons for the most common sizes, or type your own values.

Why is my PNG download blank or cut off? PNG generation uses the browser’s HTML5 Canvas API. Very large images (e.g. 9999×9999) may hit memory limits on some devices. SVG download is recommended for very large dimensions since it has no such limit.

Can I use a CSS color name instead of a hex code? Currently, only hex color codes are supported (#RGB or #RRGGBB format). You can find hex equivalents for CSS color names using the Color Converter tool.

Does the tool work offline? Yes. Once the page is loaded, all image generation happens in your browser using JavaScript and SVG — no network connection is required.

Is there a size limit on the generated image? For SVG download, there is no practical limit. For PNG download via canvas, very large images (above ~4000×4000) may fail on devices with limited GPU memory. SVG is preferred for large dimensions.

What font is used in the generated image? The text uses Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif — a web-safe font stack that renders consistently across all operating systems without requiring font loading.