// generate placeholder images with custom size and text
Generate gray or colored placeholder images with custom text overlay. Set width, height, colors, font size, and format. Browser-based, free, instant download.
Preview will appear here
Configure settings and click GenerateEnter width and height in pixels or pick a common preset like 16:9, OG image, or square.
Pick a background color (solid or gradient) and text color. Use quick-color swatches for speed.
Click Generate to preview, then download as PNG, JPEG, or WebP. Copy the Data URI for inline embedding.
This tool generates custom placeholder images directly in your browser — no server upload needed. You control dimensions, background color, text label, and output format. Perfect for designers and developers who need dummy images during the build phase.
You can download your placeholder image as PNG (lossless, great for transparency), JPEG (smaller file size for photos), or WebP (modern format with excellent compression). PNG is recommended for most placeholder use cases.
The tool supports dimensions up to 2000×2000 pixels. For very large images, generation may take a moment depending on your browser and device. Most common placeholder sizes (400×300, 1280×720, etc.) generate instantly.
Yes. Images generated by this tool are entirely yours to use however you like, including commercial projects. They are generated client-side in your browser and are not stored on any server.
A Data URI encodes the image directly as a Base64 string you can embed inline in HTML or CSS — no file hosting needed. Use it for small images in emails, inline SVGs, or when you want self-contained HTML files. For large images, it's better to download and link to the file.
These are URLs to popular placeholder image services (via.placeholder.com, placehold.co, dummyimage.com) that will generate a similar image on-the-fly from the URL alone. Useful for quick prototyping in HTML when you don't want to host a file.
No. Everything is processed entirely in your browser using the HTML Canvas API. Nothing is sent to any server. Your images and settings are completely private and never leave your device.
A placeholder image generator is a tool that creates dummy or filler images for use during the design and development phases of a web project. Instead of sourcing real images before they are available, developers and designers drop in placeholder images to test layouts, spacing, and visual structure. This placeholder image generator lets you create these images instantly — with full control over dimensions, background color, gradient, text overlay, and output format — all inside your browser without any uploads.
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During the wireframing and prototyping stages of a web project, real images are rarely available. Content teams may still be sourcing photography, or a client may not have provided assets yet. Placeholder images let developers proceed with layout work without waiting. They help you verify:
Using this tool is straightforward. First, set the dimensions you need. Common presets are available for 4:3, 16:9 HD, Open Graph (1200×630), and square formats. You can also type exact pixel values for completely custom sizes up to 2000×2000px.
Next, choose a background color. The solid color mode gives you a flat fill — ideal for neutral grays or brand colors. The gradient mode blends two colors diagonally, which is useful for hero section mockups or card backgrounds. Eight quick-color swatches let you jump to common choices instantly, or you can use the color picker for full precision.
The text overlay section lets you enter a custom label, or leave it blank to auto-show the dimensions (e.g., 400×300). You can control text color, font size (or set it to auto for smart scaling), and font style (sans-serif, monospace, or serif).
Finally, pick your output format and click Generate. The live preview updates on the canvas, and you can download the file or copy the Data URI directly.
Solid color placeholders are the traditional choice — a flat gray rectangle with white dimension text is the de-facto standard. This is what services like via.placeholder.com deliver. Solid colors are neutral and unobtrusive, keeping the focus on layout rather than aesthetics during the design review phase.
Gradient placeholders add a little visual interest without being distracting. They are useful when you are prototyping a design where the final image will have some tonal variation — such as hero banners, card thumbnails, or product photos. By matching the gradient direction and rough colors to your expected final content, you get a more realistic sense of the finished design during review sessions.
Beyond downloading a file, this tool also generates ready-to-use URLs from three popular placeholder image services. These services deliver images dynamically from a URL pattern, so you can reference them directly in HTML <img> tags without hosting any files:
These URLs are especially handy for rapid HTML prototyping when you want to share a file with teammates without needing to host any assets yourself.
For cases where you need a completely self-contained HTML file, the Data URI option lets you copy the entire image encoded as a Base64 string. You can paste this directly as the src attribute of an <img> tag:
<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGg..." alt="Placeholder">
Data URIs are ideal for email templates (where external images may be blocked), single-file HTML exports, and offline documentation. Keep in mind that Base64-encoded images are roughly 33% larger than the equivalent binary file, so use this approach for small images only.
PNG is the best general-purpose choice for placeholder images. It is lossless, supports transparency, and is supported everywhere. Use PNG when you need crisp text on the image or when file quality matters.
JPEG produces smaller files but uses lossy compression, which can soften the text overlay. Use JPEG when file size is a concern and you are testing how image slots behave in a layout — not when you need the text to be sharp.
WebP offers the best of both worlds: good compression with reasonable quality. It is supported in all modern browsers and is a good choice for any new project targeting modern browser support.
The grid overlay feature draws a subtle crosshatch pattern on top of the placeholder image. This helps you visualize alignment, judge proportions, and simulate the kind of texture that a real photograph might introduce. The border outline option adds a visible 2px border around the image edge, which helps when testing how image containers interact with surrounding layout elements — particularly when the placeholder background color is close to the page background color.
Different use cases call for different aspect ratios and pixel sizes. Here are the most commonly needed placeholder image dimensions in web development:
All of these can be generated instantly using this tool — either through the preset buttons or by entering custom values manually.