Lorem Picsum
Random placeholder images from Unsplash with a simple API.
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What is Lorem Picsum?
Lorem Picsum is an open-source tool designed to generate random placeholder images for web development and design projects. It serves as a modern alternative to traditional Lorem Ipsum text, providing visual placeholders that mimic real content. Developers, designers, and front-end engineers use it to quickly populate layouts with images during prototyping or testing, allowing them to focus on structure and aesthetics before final assets are available. The tool addresses the challenge of needing temporary visual elements without requiring manual image creation or external hosting, streamlining workflows for projects where image content is not yet finalized. By leveraging a vast database of curated images, Lorem Picsum delivers scalable, customizable placeholders through URL parameters. Its MIT-licensed codebase and active community (over 2,500 GitHub stars) reflect its reliability and adaptability. The tool’s simplicity—requiring only a URL with size specifications—makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced developers. It eliminates the need for static image files or complex setup, enabling rapid iteration and demonstration of UI/UX concepts without dependency on specific image content.
How it works
Lorem Picsum is a web-based tool that generates random placeholder images through a URL-based API. It functions as a visual counterpart to Lorem Ipsum text, providing scalable, customizable images for web development projects. The primary purpose is to allow developers and designers to quickly populate layouts with temporary visuals, enabling early-stage testing of design elements without requiring actual image assets. The tool is built as an open-source project hosted on GitHub, with a MIT license allowing free use and modification. Its lightweight architecture and minimal setup requirements make it ideal for rapid prototyping, API testing, and front-end demonstrations. By abstracting image generation into a simple URL structure, it removes barriers to experimentation and iteration in web projects. Lorem Picsum supports multiple image customization options through URL parameters. Users can specify image dimensions (e.g., https://picsum.photos/200/300), request specific images by ID (e.g., https://picsum.photos/id/237/200/300), or apply filters like grayscale (https://picsum.photos/200/300?grayscale) and blur (https://picsum.photos/200/300/?blur=2). Advanced combinations, such as grayscale blur on a specific image, are achievable by merging parameters.
How to use it
- 1Access the tool via its URL (e.g., https://picsum.photos/200/300) and specify image dimensions. 2. Use /id/{image} to fetch a specific image by its database ID. 3. Append filters like ?grayscale or ?blur=2 to modify appearance. 4. Combine parameters for advanced customization, such as https://picsum.photos/id/870/200/300?grayscale&blur=2. 5. Add.jpg to the URL to request a specific file format. Practical tips include using the random query parameter (e.g., ?random=1) to request multiple non-cached images for testing. For static outputs, omit the random parameter. Always verify image dimensions and filters in the URL to ensure expected results.
What it can do
- random images
Use cases
Assumptions and limitations
Assumptions
- source: https://github.com/DMarby/picsum-photos
- license: MIT — free to use
- privacy: Self-hosted — you control your data
Limitations
- Limited customization beyond basic filters and size parameters
- No direct image editing or metadata manipulation capabilities
- Reliance on an external image database for content
- No built-in image compression or optimization tools
- Lack of user authentication or account-based customization
Understanding the result
Random placeholder images from Unsplash with a simple API.
Tool details
- Clearly flagged when a network request is needed.
- No account, no sign-up, and no tracking of your content.
- Powered by (MIT).
- Built with
- (DMarby/picsum-photos)
- License
- MIT
- Runs locally
- No — requires a network request
- Verification
- Not yet verified
- Input
- Query
- Output
- Text
Built with DMarby/picsum-photos. OpenToolVault provides the discovery and browser interface while crediting the original project maintainers.
- Built with
- License
- MIT
Open-source project
OpenToolVault is an independent directory. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by this project.
References
- / — GitHub Repository
Upstream project · GitHub
- MIT License
Upstream project
Frequently asked
What is Lorem Picsum and how does it differ from traditional Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem Picsum is a tool that generates random placeholder images for web projects, serving as a visual counterpart to Lorem Ipsum text. Unlike text-based placeholders, it provides scalable, customizable images through URL parameters. This allows developers to test layouts with realistic visual content, addressing the limitations of text-only placeholders in UI/UX design.
How does Lorem Picsum generate its images?
The tool uses a curated database of images hosted on its server. When a user requests an image via a URL, the server selects a random image from the database that matches the specified dimensions. Specific images can be retrieved by ID, and filters like grayscale or blur are applied through query parameters. The image generation process is handled entirely on the server side, with no client-side processing required.
How do I get a specific image with custom filters?
To retrieve a specific image with filters, combine the image ID, dimensions, and parameters in the URL. For example, to get image ID 870 with grayscale and blur=2, use https://picsum.photos/id/870/200/300?grayscale&blur=2. Replace the ID, dimensions, and parameters with your desired values to customize the output.
How does Lorem Picsum compare to alternatives like Lorem Ipsum text or other placeholder tools?
Unlike text-based tools like Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Picsum provides visual placeholders, making it more suitable for testing layouts with actual image content. It differs from other image placeholder tools by offering a broader range of customization options (e.g., filters, specific images) and a simple URL-based interface. Alternatives like Placeholder.com or picsum.photos offer similar functionality but may lack the same level of parameter flexibility or community support.
What should I do if an image isn't loading?
If an image fails to load, first verify the URL parameters for correct syntax (e.g., dimensions, filters, and IDs). Ensure the image dimensions are valid and that required parameters like /id/{image} or /seed/{seed} are properly formatted. Check for typos in the URL and confirm the server is accessible. If using filters like ?blur, ensure the value is within the allowed range (1-10).