Lorem Picsum URL Builder
Image
`picsum.photos` returns a random photo from Unsplash at the dimensions you ask for. This builder produces the URL you actually want: width × height, optional grayscale and blur, and either a random photo per request, a stable photo per seed string (great for storybook fixtures), or a specific image ID. Outputs the URL plus ready-to-paste Markdown and HTML snippets, with a live preview.
Preview
<img src="https://picsum.photos/800/600" width="800" height="600" alt="placeholder">
picsum.photos serves Unsplash photos as placeholders. Free for prototyping; check Unsplash's license for production use.
How to use
- Set width and height (click 'square' to copy width to height).
- Optionally turn on grayscale or blur (0–10).
- Add a seed if you want the same photo to come back on each page load.
- Or pin a specific photo by entering its image ID (find IDs on picsum.photos/images).
- Copy the URL, Markdown, or HTML snippet.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between seed and image ID?
- A **seed** is any string you choose — `picsum.photos/seed/alice/800/600` returns the same image every time for `alice` but a different one for `bob`. **Image ID** pins a specific photo from picsum's catalog (e.g. `id/237` is the famous dog). Use seeds when you want stable but arbitrary; use IDs when you want a specific photo.
- Should I use this in production?
- Picsum is great for prototypes, design mocks, Figma fills, and Storybook. For production, host your own placeholder or use a CDN — third-party image hosts can rate-limit, change images, or go down. Picsum images are also Unsplash-licensed, which has commercial restrictions for some use cases.
- Why is my image cached/the same every reload?
- Without a seed, browsers may cache the URL even though picsum picks randomly. Add a cache-buster query (e.g. `&rand=123`) or use a seed and accept the determinism. Reverse: if you want a stable image, always use a seed.
- What aspect ratios work?
- Any whole numbers — `1600/900`, `1200/630` (Open Graph), `400/400` (avatars), `2000/300` (banners). Picsum crops/resizes from the source photo, so very extreme ratios may look awkwardly cropped.
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