Placeholder Image Generator

Create custom placeholder & dummy images at any size with colours, captions, gradients, patterns, borders and 30+ presets. Export PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG, batch-download a ZIP, or copy a data URI, <img>, CSS or Markdown snippet — free, no watermark, 100% in your browser.

Built and maintained by Shehzad Munir ·

Placeholder Image Generator
Loading Placeholder Studio
  • Image Tools
  • Free · No sign-up
  • Runs in your browser
  • 10 features
Share
Cite or link to this tool

Using this tool in an article, lesson or report? Copy a ready-made link or citation.

HTML link

<a href="https://www.toolnova.org/image-tools/placeholder-image-generator">Placeholder Image Generator</a> by ToolNova

APA

ToolNova. (2026, September 10). Placeholder Image Generator [Online tool]. https://www.toolnova.org/image-tools/placeholder-image-generator

MLA

“Placeholder Image Generator.” ToolNova, 10 Sept. 2026, www.toolnova.org/image-tools/placeholder-image-generator.

Placeholder Image Generator — Custom Dummy Images, Instantly

A free, advanced placeholder image generator that creates custom dummy images entirely in your browser. Set any size, colours, caption and background style, use 30+ social/ad/device presets, then export PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG — or copy a data URI, <img> tag, CSS or Markdown snippet. No uploads, no rate limits, no watermark.

The Placeholder Image Generator is a free, advanced online tool for creating custom placeholder and dummy images for mockups, wireframes, prototypes and front-end development. Type any width and height, pick your colours, add a label, choose a background style, then export a crisp PNG, JPG, WebP or infinitely-scalable SVG — or copy the image as a data URI, an <img> tag, a CSS background or Markdown in one click. Everything is generated locally in your browser, so there are no rate limits, no broken hotlinked URLs and nothing is ever uploaded.

Features

  • Any custom width × height, with optional locked aspect ratio
  • 30+ presets: avatars, social posts, OG cards, IAB ad units & devices
  • Backgrounds: solid, gradient, stripes, grid, dots, checkerboard & noise
  • Custom caption text or an automatic pixel-dimension label
  • Font family, weight, size and colour with a WCAG contrast checker
  • Border width/colour and rounded corners
  • Export PNG, JPG, WebP or scalable SVG at 1×, 2× or 3×
  • Copy as data URI, <img> tag, CSS background or Markdown
  • Batch mode: render many sizes at once and download a ZIP
  • 100% client-side — no uploads, no rate limits, no watermark

How to use Placeholder Image Generator

  1. 1

    Set the size

    Enter a custom width and height, or pick a preset like Instagram post, Open Graph card or a leaderboard ad. Lock the aspect ratio to resize proportionally.

  2. 2

    Style it

    Choose a background colour, gradient or pattern, set a border and corner radius, then customise the caption text, font, size and colour. The contrast checker keeps your label readable.

  3. 3

    Preview live

    The placeholder updates instantly as you tweak settings, showing the exact output you'll get at your chosen export scale.

  4. 4

    Export or copy

    Download a PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG at 1×–3×, batch-download a set of sizes as a ZIP, or copy a data URI, <img> tag, CSS background or Markdown snippet to paste straight into your project.

Common use cases

  • Fill mockups, wireframes and prototypes with dummy images while you design.
  • Reserve image slots in HTML/CSS layouts during front-end development.
  • Generate sized ad creatives and social cards for testing before the real art is ready.
  • Populate a responsive gallery or grid with placeholders of the exact right dimensions.
  • Create offline, base64 data-URI placeholders for demos on locked-down or air-gapped networks.
  • Replace unreliable placeholder URL services that rate-limit, go down or leak your mockups.

Detailed guide

Far more than a grey box

Go beyond the classic “600 × 400” grey rectangle. Choose from solid colours, smooth gradients, diagonal stripes, grids, dots, checkerboards and subtle noise, add a border and rounded corners, and control the caption text, font family, weight, size and colour independently. Turn on the auto-dimension label to stamp the exact pixel size on every image, or write your own text. A built-in contrast checker warns you when your text and background fail WCAG readability, so your placeholders stay legible in any design.

Presets for every screen, ad and social slot

Skip the guesswork with 30+ ready-made sizes: avatars and thumbnails, square and portrait posts for Instagram, Facebook and X/Twitter covers, YouTube thumbnails, Open Graph cards, IAB ad units (leaderboard, medium rectangle, skyscraper, billboard), common device resolutions and print-friendly ratios. Lock an aspect ratio while you resize, or switch to batch mode to render a whole set of sizes at once and download them together as a ZIP — perfect for populating a responsive gallery or an ad-creative kit in seconds.

Built for developers and designers

Drop generated placeholders straight into your codebase. Copy a ready-to-paste <img> tag, a background-image CSS rule, a Markdown image, or a base64 data URI that works offline with no external request. Export SVG for razor-sharp vectors at any zoom, or export PNG/JPG/WebP at 1×, 2× or 3× for retina displays. Because the whole tool is client-side, it works on locked-down networks, behind firewalls and offline — a reliable replacement for placeholder services that go down, rate-limit, or leak your mockups to a third-party server.

Frequently asked questions

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

A placeholder (or dummy) image is a stand-in graphic that fills an image slot before the final artwork is ready. Designers and developers use them in mockups, wireframes, prototypes and HTML/CSS layouts to reserve space with the exact right dimensions, so a design or page looks complete while the real photos are still being produced.

Is this placeholder image generator free and watermark-free?

Yes. Every image you generate is completely free, full-resolution and watermark-free, with no sign-up and no usage limits. Because the images are rendered in your browser rather than on a server, there is nothing to pay for and no rate limiting.

What image formats and resolutions can I export?

You can export PNG, JPG and WebP raster images at 1×, 2× or 3× for retina displays, or an SVG that stays razor-sharp at any zoom. You can also copy the result as a base64 data URI, an <img> tag, a CSS background-image rule, or Markdown.

Can I set a custom size and colours?

Absolutely. Enter any width and height (with an optional locked aspect ratio), then choose your background colour, gradient or pattern, border, corner radius, and the caption text, font, size and colour. A built-in contrast checker warns you if the text and background are hard to read.

Do you have presets for social media and ads?

Yes — there are 30+ presets including avatars and thumbnails, Instagram, Facebook and X/Twitter posts and covers, YouTube thumbnails, Open Graph cards, IAB ad units (leaderboard, medium rectangle, skyscraper, billboard) and common device resolutions. Pick one and the size fills in automatically.

Can I generate several sizes at once?

Yes. Switch to batch mode, choose the sizes you need, and the tool renders them all with your current style, then lets you download the whole set together as a ZIP — ideal for responsive galleries and ad-creative kits.

How do I add a placeholder image to my HTML or CSS?

Generate the image, then use the Copy buttons to grab a ready-to-paste <img> tag or a CSS background-image rule. For a fully self-contained, offline placeholder, copy the base64 data URI — it embeds the image directly in your code with no external request.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. The entire tool runs client-side in your browser using the HTML canvas and SVG — no images, text or settings are ever sent to a server. That makes it fast, private and reliable even on locked-down or offline networks, unlike placeholder URL services.

From the journal

All articles →
How to Remove EXIF Metadata From Your PhotosTool Guides

How to Remove EXIF Metadata From Your Photos

Photos carry hidden data like GPS location and camera details. Here's why that matters for privacy and how to strip it before sharing.

SM
Shehzad Munir
Aug 19, 2026 · 3 min
What Is CPS? How to Test and Improve Your Click SpeedTool Guides

What Is CPS? How to Test and Improve Your Click Speed

CPS means clicks per second. Here's how it's measured, what a good score looks like, and how to test your own click speed for free.

SM
Shehzad Munir
Aug 17, 2026 · 3 min
How to Merge PDF Files for Free (Without Uploading Them)Tool Guides

How to Merge PDF Files for Free (Without Uploading Them)

Combine several PDFs into one document, reorder the pages, and keep everything private — no software and no server upload.

SM
Shehzad Munir
Aug 14, 2026 · 2 min