How to Generate Dummy Text in Figma?

Figma has rapidly become one of the most popular design tools, enabling designers to create stunning, interactive prototypes and layouts. Whether you’re designing a website, mobile app, or any other digital interface, Figma offers a flexible environment for collaboration and design execution. However, one common task in the design process is the need for dummy text.

Dummy text is used to fill space where actual content will later be placed, allowing designers to visualize how text will appear within their layouts. It helps maintain a smooth workflow, as designers can focus on the structure and aesthetics of their designs without being held up by the lack of real content. But how do you quickly generate and insert this text into your Figma designs?

In this article, we’ll explore various ways to generate dummy text in Figma, from utilizing built-in features to using helpful plugins. We’ll also cover best practices for ensuring your use of dummy text enhances the design process and doesn’t overwhelm your layout. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to work efficiently with placeholder text in Figma to streamline your design projects.

What is Dummy Text?

Dummy text, also known as placeholder text or filler text, is nonsensical content used in design mockups and prototypes to fill empty spaces in a layout. This text helps designers visualize how the final content will look, without needing to rely on actual text from clients or content creators. Dummy text serves as a stand-in to maintain the focus on layout, typography, and the overall user interface (UI) design, rather than content.

The most commonly used type of dummy text is Lorem Ipsum, a pseudo-Latin text that has been used in the printing industry since the 1500s. Lorem Ipsum has become the standard filler text in the design world because it mimics the look and flow of natural language, making it ideal for visualizing text-heavy areas in a design. However, dummy text isn’t limited to just Lorem Ipsum—designers often use custom placeholder text or other formats depending on their project needs.

Common Uses of Dummy Text in Design:

• Website and App Design: Filling out areas that will later be populated with real content such as headlines, paragraphs, and navigation links.
• UI/UX Prototypes: Ensuring the layout is visually balanced before actual content is added, particularly useful in wireframes or mockups.
• Marketing Materials: Testing how different text elements like product descriptions or service details will fit into a design.
• Content Layout Testing: Identifying potential layout issues such as text overflow, line length, and text alignment before final content is available.

By incorporating dummy text into designs, designers can focus on the visual structure of a project and ensure that it looks great, even in the absence of real content.

Why Generate Dummy Text in Figma?

Generating dummy text in Figma is a crucial step in the design process for several reasons. Let’s take a closer look at why it’s so important to include placeholder text in your Figma designs and how it can benefit your workflow.

1. Time-Saving Benefits

Designing a layout or a prototype without having to wait for real content can significantly speed up your workflow. If you’re working with a client or team that is still finalizing content, using dummy text allows you to move forward with the design and avoid unnecessary delays. You can always replace it with the actual content later once it’s available.

2. Enhancing Visual Appeal

Dummy text plays a vital role in enhancing the visual appeal of your design. It allows you to see how the text will interact with other design elements like images, buttons, and navigation menus. By using realistic placeholder text like Lorem Ipsum, you can get an accurate representation of text spacing, alignment, and typography before your actual content is inserted.

3. Ensuring Design Consistency and Layout Accuracy

When designing user interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX), consistency in layout is essential. Placeholder text helps maintain this consistency by showing you how the design will look when real text is added. Without it, it’s difficult to anticipate how different sections of text will impact the overall layout.

For instance, a text-heavy section on a homepage or a mobile app could dramatically alter the appearance of the layout, affecting spacing, text wrapping, and even the flow of content. By using dummy text, you can preemptively adjust these aspects to ensure a clean, balanced layout.

4. Focusing on Design Elements

Using dummy text allows you to focus purely on the design elements without getting distracted by content details. The goal in the early stages of a project is to prioritize the overall aesthetic, structure, and functionality of the design, not the actual text. Dummy text lets you do this by filling in text spaces temporarily, helping you maintain a smooth workflow and avoid getting bogged down by content that may still be in progress.

5. Avoiding Content-Based Decisions Early On

When designing with real content, there’s often a temptation to make decisions based on the text itself—whether it’s adjusting font sizes, colors, or styles to match the specific content. Dummy text removes this distraction, allowing you to make unbiased decisions based on the layout and overall design rather than the actual content. This helps you create a more flexible and adaptable design that will look good regardless of the final text.

In conclusion, generating dummy text in Figma is not just a time-saving convenience, it’s a smart strategy that supports design consistency, aesthetic appeal, and workflow efficiency. It enables you to move forward with your designs without waiting on final content and helps you visualize the layout as it will ultimately appear once real text is inserted.

Methods to Generate Dummy Text in Figma

Figma offers several ways to generate dummy text, making it easy for designers to add placeholder content quickly and efficiently. Below are the different methods you can use to generate dummy text in Figma, from utilizing built-in features to leveraging plugins. Let’s explore each of these options.

1. Using Figma’s Built-In Features

Figma doesn’t have a specific feature for generating dummy text, but you can still create simple placeholder text directly within the platform. Here’s how you can do it:

• Step 1: Select the Text Tool (T) from the toolbar or press the “T” key to create a new text box.
• Step 2: Click inside the text box to start typing your placeholder text.
• Step 3: You can manually enter placeholder text such as “Lorem ipsum” or any other custom text you prefer. For convenience, you can copy and paste text from external sources.

This method works best for small projects or quick prototypes when you need a simple filler text. However, manually typing or pasting text can become tedious for larger projects, which is why using Figma plugins is often a more efficient approach.

2. Using Plugins for Dummy Text Generation

Figma has a robust plugin ecosystem, and many of these plugins can help generate dummy text automatically. Some popular plugins make it even easier to add large amounts of placeholder content. Here are two widely-used plugins to generate dummy text in Figma:

• Lorem Ipsum: This plugin allows you to quickly generate Lorem Ipsum text and insert it into your designs with just a few clicks.
• Content Reel: This plugin provides a variety of content, including dummy text, and allows you to easily drag and drop text into your designs.

How to Install and Use Figma Plugins:

• Step 1: Open Figma and go to the Plugins menu at the top of the screen.
• Step 2: Select Browse Plugins in Community and search for “Lorem Ipsum” or “Content Reel” in the search bar.
• Step 3: Click the Install button next to the plugin you want to use.
• Step 4: Once the plugin is installed, go back to your Figma design, click on the Plugins menu, and select the installed plugin (e.g., Lorem Ipsum or Content Reel).
• Step 5: Follow the plugin’s instructions to generate and insert the dummy text into your design.

Plugins like Lorem Ipsum and Content Reel not only save time but also provide more customization options compared to manual methods. You can adjust the length, type, and style of the text according to your design needs.

3. Manual Methods (Copy-Paste)

For quick mockups or small sections of text, the most straightforward method is to copy and paste pre-generated dummy text from external sources. Websites like Lorem Ipsum or Fillerama offer free access to various forms of dummy text. Simply visit these websites, copy the text you need, and paste it directly into your Figma design.

While this method works well in a pinch, it may not be as efficient as using plugins for larger projects. However, it’s a quick and easy solution when you’re working on small, one-off designs.

Best Practices for Using Dummy Text in Figma

While dummy text is a valuable tool for designers, it’s important to use it thoughtfully to ensure it enhances your design process rather than detracting from it. Below are some best practices to keep in mind when using dummy text in Figma:

1. Ensure Dummy Text Doesn’t Overpower the Design

One of the most common mistakes when using dummy text is allowing it to overpower the design elements. While it’s tempting to focus on the text itself, remember that your primary goal is to design the layout, typography, and overall visual elements. Keep the dummy text subtle by ensuring it doesn’t distract from the visual hierarchy or layout. For example, use a neutral font and ensure the text doesn’t overshadow images or other important design elements.

2. Use the Right Amount of Dummy Text

It’s easy to get carried away when generating dummy text, but using too much can clutter your design. Instead, use an appropriate amount of text that reflects how much real content will eventually occupy the space. For example, if you’re designing a blog layout, don’t fill the article preview sections with long paragraphs of dummy text—shorter excerpts that simulate headlines and paragraph beginnings are often more than enough.

For instance, in a website mockup, a few lines of placeholder text in the header or body sections should be sufficient. This gives a realistic impression of how the layout will look without overwhelming the viewer.

3. Replace Dummy Text Before Finalizing Designs

While placeholder text serves its purpose during the design phase, it’s essential to replace it with actual content before the final project is delivered. Make sure that your client, stakeholders, or team members are aware that the text is temporary. You don’t want to accidentally send a design that still contains Lorem Ipsum or other placeholder text, as this can convey a lack of attention to detail.

Whenever possible, replace dummy text with real content during the later stages of the design process, or use more context-specific placeholders if the real content isn’t available yet.

4. Be Aware of Text-Length and Spacing

One of the challenges of using dummy text is that it may not accurately reflect the final text length, which can lead to unexpected spacing or layout issues. It’s crucial to test how different lengths of text will fit within your design before moving forward. If the dummy text is too short, you may need to adjust your text box size. If it’s too long, you may need to rework the layout to prevent text from overflowing or crowding other elements.

Consider using plugins that allow you to customize the amount of text generated, so you can simulate different scenarios and ensure the layout will work regardless of text length.

5. Use Dummy Text for Specific Layout Testing

Another effective use of dummy text in Figma is for testing specific layout scenarios. For example, if you are designing a grid of cards that will display product information or blog posts, use dummy text to simulate different types of content. This can help you adjust the card design for various content types, such as product descriptions, titles, and prices, to ensure everything fits neatly within the grid.

Similarly, you can use dummy text to test text-heavy pages, such as long articles or FAQ sections. This ensures that the text doesn’t disrupt the visual flow of the design.

In summary, using dummy text wisely in Figma can help streamline your design process and provide valuable insights into how your design will function once real content is added. However, it’s important to avoid overuse, ensure the text doesn’t detract from the design, and always replace it with real content before finalizing the design.

Tips for Customizing Dummy Text in Figma

Customizing your dummy text in Figma is an essential step in creating realistic design prototypes. Not only does it help you test different content scenarios, but it also allows you to adjust the text to better fit your design’s needs. Here are some practical tips for customizing dummy text in Figma:

1. Adjusting the Length of Dummy Text

One of the most important customizations you’ll need to make is adjusting the length of the dummy text. Depending on your design, you might need short snippets, long paragraphs, or a mix of both. Here’s how you can manage the length of your placeholder text:

• Short Text Blocks: If you only need a few words or lines of text (e.g., headlines or subheadings), simply adjust the text box size to fit the content.
• Longer Text: For content-heavy sections, like paragraphs, you may need to generate longer text. Figma plugins like “Lorem Ipsum” or “Content Reel” allow you to select the exact number of words or paragraphs you want. This ensures that the text fits the space in a way that mimics how real content will appear.

When adjusting text length, be sure to test how different amounts of content will affect the layout. Too much text can cause design elements to shift unexpectedly, while too little may leave large empty spaces that don’t reflect how the final content will look.

2. Customizing the Font Style and Size

To ensure your dummy text aligns with your design’s aesthetic, you may want to adjust the font style, size, and color. Even though the text is placeholder content, it should still blend seamlessly with your overall design. Here’s how you can customize the text:

• Font Type: Choose a font that mirrors the one you plan to use in the final design. For example, if your design uses a modern sans-serif font, select something similar for the dummy text. You can change the font directly from the Text properties panel.
• Font Size: Adjust the font size to match the design’s requirements for headers, body text, captions, etc. Ensure the size complements other design elements, such as images, buttons, or icons.
• Text Color: While dummy text is usually a neutral color (like black or gray), it’s still a good idea to set it to the same color as the text in your final design. This helps you get a better sense of the text’s visual weight and its interaction with other elements.

3. Adding Variations of Dummy Text

Not all dummy text needs to be the same. You can experiment with different types of placeholder content to simulate different content types. Here’s how to approach this:

• Headlines and Subheadings: Use short, punchy dummy text to simulate titles and section headings. You might want to use a bold or larger font size to create a visual hierarchy.
• Body Text: Use longer, more descriptive dummy text to represent the main content of a page. Adjust the line length and line height to ensure the text is easily readable.
• Lists and Bullets: If your design includes lists (e.g., features, services, or FAQs), you can generate a list-style format with the dummy text. Use Figma’s bulleting or numbering tools to replicate the actual layout you’ll be using.

You can also combine different dummy text types to simulate how diverse content types will appear in your design.

4. Simulating Multilingual Content

In some cases, you may need to generate dummy text in multiple languages to see how the design handles different text structures. Figma doesn’t have a built-in feature for multilingual dummy text, but you can easily copy and paste text from multilingual dummy text generators or use plugins that provide foreign-language options. This is especially useful for internationalized designs or apps that will be localized into multiple languages.

To ensure that your design accommodates different character sets and text directions (e.g., left-to-right or right-to-left languages), it’s important to test the layout with diverse text. Tools like Content Reel offer multi-language options, and you can use these to visualize how non-Latin scripts might affect the design.

5. Creating Different Dummy Text Patterns

Sometimes, you might need to simulate not just simple blocks of text but also structured content, such as a list of items, bullet points, or various text styles. Some plugins, like Content Reel, allow you to create variations of dummy text, such as headlines, paragraphs, or even complex lists. This is especially useful when designing content-heavy pages like blogs, product descriptions, or informational websites.

For example, if you’re designing an e-commerce site, you might use dummy text for product descriptions, reviews, and pricing information, each with different structures and formats. This will give you a more accurate preview of the final layout.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Even though dummy text is a useful tool for design, there are some common issues that can arise when working with it in Figma. These issues typically relate to how the text interacts with the layout, spacing, and other design elements. Below are some of the most common problems you may encounter and tips on how to troubleshoot them.

1. Text Overflow or Clipping

Problem: When your dummy text is too long or exceeds the designated space within a text box, it can cause overflow or clipping, where part of the text becomes hidden.

Solution: To fix text overflow, consider the following solutions:

• Resize the Text Box: Increase the size of the text box to accommodate the full text. If your layout allows it, this can be a simple solution.
• Adjust Text Settings: You can modify the font size, line height, or letter spacing to make the text fit within the box. Smaller text or tighter line spacing can help prevent clipping.
• Text Overflow Options: In Figma, you can choose to allow text overflow by selecting the Auto Height option for the text box. This setting will allow the text box to expand vertically as needed, ensuring no text is clipped.

2. Alignment Issues

Problem: Sometimes, the alignment of the dummy text doesn’t look quite right, either because it doesn’t match the intended design or it’s causing spacing issues.

Solution: Ensure the text is aligned correctly by adjusting the alignment settings in the Text Properties panel. Figma offers several alignment options, including left, center, right, and justified text. Depending on the design, you might want to align the text left for paragraphs or center it for headings.

Additionally, check the padding and margins around your text boxes. Incorrect spacing can lead to misalignment with other design elements. If necessary, adjust the spacing between the text and other objects, ensuring the layout remains visually balanced.

3. Inconsistent Line Lengths

Problem: If your dummy text is inconsistent in length, it can create visual imbalance or gaps in the design. For example, using short paragraphs next to long ones can make the layout look uneven.

Solution: Use plugins like Lorem Ipsum or Content Reel, which allow you to generate text in specific lengths. By customizing the amount of dummy text, you can ensure that all text blocks within the design are of similar lengths, helping maintain balance and consistency. You can also manually adjust text lengths by adding or removing words or sentences to match the size of other text sections.

4. Font or Style Mismatch

Problem: Dummy text may appear in a different font or style than the one intended for the final design. This can happen if the font settings aren’t properly applied or if you’re using the wrong font type for the placeholder text.

Solution: To avoid font mismatches, ensure that the dummy text is styled the same way as the final content. In Figma, you can easily adjust the font family, size, weight, and other properties directly from the Text Properties Panel. If you’re using a plugin for dummy text generation, double-check the font settings before generating the text to ensure consistency.

5. Large Gaps Between Text Blocks

Problem: Dummy text can sometimes cause large gaps between lines or paragraphs, especially when the line height is too large for the amount of text you’re using. This is particularly noticeable when you are working with larger amounts of text.

Solution: Check the line height and paragraph spacing settings in the Text Properties Panel. If you have too much space between lines, reduce the line height to create a more compact and visually cohesive block of text. You can also adjust the paragraph spacing to close gaps between sections.

6. Language and Directional Issues

Problem: If you’re working with multilingual designs, certain languages may display differently in Figma, especially right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Arabic or Hebrew. Dummy text can sometimes break the layout when it’s in an unfamiliar language or script.

Solution: Use Figma’s Text Direction settings to handle text in different languages. You can switch the text alignment for RTL languages or adjust the width of text boxes to account for longer or shorter text lengths. Additionally, if you’re using a plugin that supports multilingual content, check if it provides support for RTL languages and adjusts the text formatting accordingly.

7. Slow Performance with Large Amounts of Dummy Text

Problem: If you’re working on a large-scale project with extensive use of dummy text, Figma may slow down, especially when you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of text elements.

Solution: To improve performance, consider using simpler text blocks or reducing the number of text elements in your design. Figma also allows you to group layers or use components for repeated text, which can improve performance. If performance continues to be an issue, it may be helpful to remove some of the dummy text temporarily until you’re ready to finalize the content.

Conclusion

Generating dummy text in Figma is a powerful technique that helps streamline the design process by allowing you to focus on the visual and structural aspects of a project without worrying about content. Whether you’re creating websites, mobile apps, or other digital designs, using placeholder text ensures your design is cohesive and balanced. By following best practices and making smart use of Figma’s built-in tools and plugins, you can effectively manage and customize dummy text to fit your project’s needs.

Remember that while dummy text is essential for mockups and prototypes, it should be replaced with real content as soon as it’s available. The goal is to create a design that works well visually and functionally, regardless of whether it’s filled with actual text or placeholder content.

With the methods outlined in this guide, you can confidently generate and manipulate dummy text in Figma to enhance your design workflow and create polished prototypes.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I generate Lorem Ipsum text in Figma?
To generate Lorem Ipsum text in Figma, you can use the Lorem Ipsum plugin available in Figma’s Plugin directory. After installing the plugin, you can easily generate placeholder text by selecting the text box and choosing the amount of text you want from the plugin menu.

2. Can I use any text as dummy text in Figma?
Yes, you can use any text as dummy text in Figma. While Lorem Ipsum is the most popular placeholder text, you can paste any custom text into a text box, use plugins for different types of placeholder content, or even create your own unique dummy text based on the design requirements.

3. How do I replace dummy text with real content in Figma?
To replace dummy text with real content in Figma, simply select the text box containing the placeholder text, and type or paste the actual content in place. If you’re working with text generated through a plugin, you can manually replace the placeholder text once the real content is available.

4. Can I adjust the length of the dummy text in Figma?
Yes, Figma allows you to adjust the length of the dummy text, especially when using plugins like Lorem Ipsum or Content Reel. These plugins allow you to specify the number of words or paragraphs you need, helping you fit the text to your design’s needs.

5. What should I do if my dummy text is causing layout issues in Figma?
If dummy text is causing layout issues, ensure that you’re using the correct text box settings, such as adjusting the text box size, line height, and font size. Additionally, check the alignment and spacing settings, and make sure you’re not using excessive amounts of text that could throw off the design. You can also use Auto Height or resize the text box as needed.

6. How can I simulate multilingual dummy text in Figma?
To simulate multilingual dummy text, you can use plugins like Content Reel, which support multiple languages. If the plugin doesn’t support your required language, you can manually copy and paste text from online dummy text generators that support various languages.

7. Are there any performance concerns when using a lot of dummy text in Figma?
Yes, using a large amount of dummy text in Figma can slow down performance, especially in larger projects. To minimize this, try using simpler text blocks, grouping text layers, or using components for repeated text. Reducing the number of text elements while working on the design can help maintain smooth performance.

This page was last edited on 23 January 2025, at 2:54 pm