In
graphic design and
printing
Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ...
, the phrases for position only or for placement only, or the
initialism
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
FPO, indicate materials that have been used as placeholders in a layout prior to it being declared finished and ready for publication.
These placeholders, commonly either blank frames or
stock photographs, indicate that as-yet-unavailable images or illustrations will be placed in the final layout. That allows design work to continue without risk that the
pagination
Pagination, also known as paging, is the process of dividing a document into discrete pages, either electronic pages or printed pages.
In reference to books produced without a computer, pagination can mean the consecutive page numbering to indi ...
or other elements of the layout will be changed when the final images become available and similarly in web design provides a means for developers to finish coding and testing the website without having to wait for the actual image files.
They can also be used to produce proof copies of the layout in order to assess its general appearance, similar to the use in typesetting of generic
filler text blocks like "''
lorem ipsum
In publishing and graphic design, ''Lorem ipsum'' is a placeholder text commonly used to demonstrate the visual form of a document or a typeface without relying on meaningful content. ''Lorem ipsum'' may be used as a placeholder before final ...
''," which give an indication of how the finished type will look in the layout.
Because of the risk that placeholder material might accidentally be published, it is clearly marked with an FPO indicator in the form of a simulated watermark or overprint, stamp, or the like in the expectation that will make the placeholder's presence obvious to designers working on the layout; reviewing proof copies; or, as a last resort, checking the finished publication. Preventing the accidental "escape" of FPO material is particularly important when the placeholder used is a stock photograph or other
copyrighted work that the publisher does not have permission to use in public.
Printing terminology
Web design
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