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About Lorem Ipsum
Lorem ipsum is a placeholder text commonly used in graphic design, publishing, and web development to occupy space in layouts where the final content is not yet available. Its nonsensical structure helps focus attention on design elements rather than the content itself.
Origins of Lorem Ipsum
The text traces its roots back to De finibus bonorum et malorum, a 1st-century BC philosophical work by Cicero. Modern versions of Lorem ipsum are heavily altered from the original Latin, rearranged and modified to make it nonsensical while retaining a classical appearance. The phrase "lorem ipsum" itself is derived from a truncated form of dolorem ipsum, meaning "pain itself."
Lorem ipsum gained popularity in the 1960s when Letraset transfer sheets used it to demonstrate fonts and layouts. By the mid-1980s, it entered the digital realm, featured in desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker. Today, it remains widely used in applications ranging from graphic design tools to website templates.
Example Lorem Ipsum Text
A standard excerpt of Lorem ipsum reads:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Historical Significance
The first known connection between Lorem ipsum and Cicero's text was discovered by a Latin scholar, Richard McClintock, in the 1980s. While researching the rare Latin word consectetur, he traced it back to sections of De finibus bonorum et malorum. Despite its nonsensical rearrangement, the modern placeholder text retains fragments from Cicero's philosophical musings.
Why Use Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem ipsum serves a unique purpose: to keep design and layout tests free from distraction. Its generic text structure ensures that focus stays on visual elements without the bias of meaningful content. This makes it an ideal tool for designers, developers, and publishers.
Start using Lorem ipsum to bring clarity to your designs and prototypes today!
Sources:
Contributors to Wikimedia projects
Cecil Adams
Priceonomics
How to Use This Lorem Ipsum Generator
Our Lorem Ipsum generator gives you control over the type and format of placeholder text you generate:
Content Style Options
- Classic Lorem Ipsum: Traditional Latin-based placeholder text derived from Cicero's work. Best for formal mockups and traditional design projects.
- Natural English: Readable English sentences that look like real content without being distracting. Useful when clients need to understand text flow.
- Content Marketing: Marketing-style placeholder text with industry jargon and buzzwords. Helps visualize how promotional copy will appear.
- Chat Style: Conversational placeholder text that mimics messaging apps and chat interfaces. Ideal for UI mockups of messaging features.
Output Format
- Plain Text: Unformatted text you can paste anywhere. Copy and use in any application.
- HTML: Text wrapped in proper HTML paragraph tags. Ready to paste into web projects and HTML editors.
Paragraph Count
Adjust the number slider to generate anywhere from 1 to 20 paragraphs of placeholder text. Click "Generate Content" to create new text with your selected options.
Lorem Ipsum vs Real Content
Lorem ipsum serves a specific purpose during design and development, but it should never replace real content in production.
When to Use Lorem Ipsum
- Design mockups: Show layout and typography without content being the focus
- Client presentations: Demonstrate design concepts before final copy is written
- Development testing: Test responsive layouts with various text lengths
- Typography testing: Evaluate font choices and text hierarchy
- Template creation: Build reusable templates before content is available
When to Use Real Content
- User testing: Real content reveals actual comprehension and usability issues
- SEO work: Search engines need actual content to index and rank pages
- Final delivery: Never ship a website or application with placeholder text
- Length testing: Real content has natural length variations lorem ipsum can't replicate
- Accessibility review: Screen readers and assistive tech need meaningful content
Why Not to Publish with Placeholder Text
Publishing with lorem ipsum creates serious problems:
- Looks unprofessional and unfinished to users
- Provides zero SEO value - search engines can't rank meaningless text
- Fails accessibility standards - screen readers read nonsensical content
- Indicates rushed or incomplete work
- May violate content requirements in contracts or style guides
Always replace placeholder text with real content before launch.
Common Use Cases
Wireframing and Mockups
Designers use lorem ipsum in wireframes to show text hierarchy and layout without distracting stakeholders with content discussions. Tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD include lorem ipsum generators for rapid prototyping.
Client Presentations
Presenting design concepts before final copy is available requires placeholder text. Lorem ipsum lets clients focus on visual design, layout, and user experience rather than debating specific wording.
Template Development
Web developers build page templates and themes before content exists. Lorem ipsum fills header, body, and sidebar areas to test responsive behavior across devices and screen sizes.
Font and Typography Testing
Type designers and web developers use lorem ipsum to evaluate font choices, sizes, line heights, and spacing. The varied letter distribution in lorem ipsum makes it better than repeated words for typography testing.
CMS and Website Builders
Content management systems like WordPress, Drupal, and website builders like Squarespace use lorem ipsum in demo content and starter templates to show users what a completed site looks like.
Print Design
Magazine layouts, brochure templates, and book design all use lorem ipsum to visualize text-heavy pages before articles and copy are finalized.
Tips for Using Placeholder Text
- Match realistic content length: Generate placeholder text that approximates the actual content length. If your blog posts average 1,200 words, use 1,200 words of lorem ipsum in mockups
- Use hierarchy and structure: Include headings, subheadings, and paragraph breaks in your placeholder text. Real content has structure, and your placeholder text should too
- Test edge cases: Generate very short and very long placeholder text to test layout breaking points. What happens with a 5-word paragraph? A 500-word paragraph?
- Label placeholder clearly: In mockups and prototypes, add comments or notes indicating that text is placeholder. This prevents lorem ipsum from accidentally making it to production
- Transition to real content early: Replace placeholder text with real content as soon as it's available. Real content reveals issues lorem ipsum hides
- Consider alternatives: Sometimes real content, even draft content, works better than lorem ipsum. Use draft copy from content writers, content from similar existing pages, or industry-relevant sample text
