How to Generate Lorem Ipsum in Figma, Sketch & Adobe XD
Figma's Content Reel plugin, Lorem Ipsum plugins, Sketch's Data feature, XD's repeat grid — keyboard shortcuts and workflows for placeholder text in every major design tool.
How to Generate Lorem Ipsum in Figma, Sketch & Adobe XD
The Placeholder Text Problem in Design Tools
Every major design tool has a different answer to the question "how do I fill this text frame with placeholder text?" Some are built in; most require plugins or workarounds. This article covers the current state of lorem ipsum generation in Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD, with keyboard shortcuts and plugin recommendations for each.
Figma
Figma does not have native lorem ipsum generation in its core interface (as of 2026). The workflow options are:
Method 1: Lorem Ipsum Plugins
The Figma plugin ecosystem has several lorem ipsum generators. The most reliable approach:
- Open a Figma file and select a text layer
- Open the Plugin menu (Main menu → Plugins → Browse plugins)
- Search for "Lorem ipsum" or "dummy text"
- The Lorem ipsum plugin by Figma community (consistently one of the most installed) generates standard lorem ipsum of configurable length
Several plugins extend this with custom content:
- Content Reel — generates not just lorem ipsum but names, numbers, and image placeholders from configurable data sources
- Unsplash — fills image layers with real Unsplash photographs for more realistic mockups
Method 2: Text Copy from Lorem Forge
Generate the exact text you need (specific word count, with or without HTML, as headings or paragraphs) from the generator above, then paste directly into Figma text frames. This is the most flexible approach for custom requirements.
Method 3: Figma AI (2024+)
Figma has integrated AI features that can generate contextually appropriate placeholder text. Select a text layer, access the AI fill option, and describe the content ("product description, 2 sentences, tech startup tone"). The output is more realistic than traditional lorem ipsum for user testing contexts.
Typography Testing in Figma
For testing typeface pairings with real lorem ipsum, set your text frame to a fixed width, enable auto-height, and use the generator to produce several paragraphs at the character distribution that represents your typical content. Avoid using a single short sentence — typefaces behave differently at paragraph scale than at headline scale.
Sketch
Sketch has native data-fill capabilities, though they require setup:
Method 1: Built-in Text Data
- Select a text layer
- Right-click → "Generate Data for Selection" → Select a data source
Sketch ships with limited built-in text data. For lorem ipsum specifically, you need to import or install additional data sources.
Method 2: Data Plugins
Unsplash and Content Generator for Sketch are the most widely used. Content Generator includes lorem ipsum in configurable paragraph lengths and integrates with Sketch's Symbol system.
Method 3: cmd+ctrl+V in Text Fields
In some Sketch versions, pasting lorem ipsum from an external source (clipboard from Lorem Forge) into a text layer auto-detects and applies text styling from the layer's existing style definition. Paste, then reapply the text style if formatting is lost.
Sketch Symbols and Lorem Ipsum
When working with Symbols (Sketch's reusable component system), text overrides in Symbols maintain their placeholder text unless overridden at instance level. Define your Symbol with representative lorem ipsum at the correct length — a card with a 65-character headline lorem ipsum rather than a single word — so that instances remain realistic.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD has the most developed native lorem ipsum functionality of the three tools:
Method 1: Repeat Grid with Lorem Fill
- Create a text element and any other elements that form a repeating pattern
- Select all elements and choose Object → Make Repeat Grid
- Drag the Repeat Grid handle to repeat the pattern
- Adobe XD automatically fills text frames in the repeat grid with lorem ipsum variants, ensuring each cell contains different text
This is the most efficient way to populate list-style layouts, card grids, and data tables with realistic (if not real) content.
Method 2: Lorem Ipsum from Plugins
The XD plugin ecosystem includes dedicated lorem ipsum generators under Plugins → Browse Plugins → Search "lorem ipsum". Most allow configuring paragraph count, word count, and include options for HTML-wrapped output.
Method 3: Manual Text Fill
Adobe XD's Properties panel includes a "Generate Lorem Ipsum" button in the text layer panel when a text frame is selected. This fills the frame with standard lorem ipsum text at the length that fits the frame dimensions.
General Workflow Recommendations
Regardless of tool:
Use representative lengths. A headline lorem ipsum that is shorter or longer than your typical real headlines will produce a layout that breaks when real content arrives. Generate lorem ipsum at the approximate length of your intended content.
Use the right flavor for the context. Standard lorem ipsum is appropriate for most layout work. For client presentations, use more contextually appropriate placeholder text — themed ipsum options or real copy sourced from the product.
Replace body copy last. In a multi-element design, replace headline and label copy with real text first (it changes layout the most), then replace body copy. This order reveals layout-breaking issues while there is still time to address them without full rework.
Store your go-to lorem ipsum in a shared team library. Define text styles in your design system with lorem ipsum already in them — this ensures new frames use the right placeholder text automatically.
Key Takeaways
- Figma has no native lorem ipsum; use the Lorem ipsum plugin or Content Reel, or paste from an external generator
- Sketch uses Data fill; add a lorem ipsum data source via the Content Generator plugin
- Adobe XD has the most native support — the Repeat Grid feature automatically varies lorem ipsum across repeated instances
- Use placeholder text at representative lengths, not arbitrary lengths, to catch layout issues before real content arrives
- Replace headline and label copy with real text before body copy — it reveals the most impactful layout problems first