What is Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem Ipsum is a pseudo-Latin placeholder text commonly used in graphic design, web development, and publishing to demonstrate visual layout without the distraction of meaningful content. It has been the industry standard dummy text since the 1500s.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lorem Ipsum Placeholder Text |
|---|---|
| Created | 1500s (based on 45 BC text by Cicero) |
| Specification | Official Specification |
How It Works
Lorem Ipsum originated from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of 'de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum' (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. The standard Lorem Ipsum passage has been used since the 1500s when an unknown printer scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It survived not only five centuries but also the leap into electronic typesetting. The text is intentionally meaningless to prevent readers from being distracted by the content when evaluating design layouts.
Key Characteristics
- Pseudo-Latin text derived from Cicero's work
- Standard placeholder for design mockups
- Mimics natural text distribution and length
- Available in various lengths (words, sentences, paragraphs)
- Industry standard since the 1500s
- Intentionally meaningless to focus on design
Common Use Cases
- Website and app design mockups
- Print layout and typography testing
- Presentation and document templates
- Font and typography demonstrations
- UI/UX prototyping
Example
Loading code...Frequently Asked Questions
What does Lorem Ipsum actually mean?
Lorem Ipsum is scrambled Latin derived from Cicero's 'de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum' (45 BC). The text is intentionally garbled and doesn't translate to coherent meaning. 'Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet' roughly approximates 'pain itself' but the full passage is nonsensical pseudo-Latin.
Why do designers use Lorem Ipsum instead of real text?
Lorem Ipsum provides realistic text distribution without distracting viewers with readable content. When evaluating layouts, meaningful text causes people to read instead of focusing on design elements like typography, spacing, and visual hierarchy. The pseudo-Latin maintains focus on visual aspects.
Where did Lorem Ipsum originate?
Lorem Ipsum originated from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of 'de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum' by Roman philosopher Cicero, written in 45 BC. An unknown printer in the 1500s scrambled the text to create a type specimen book, and it has been the industry standard placeholder text ever since.
Are there alternatives to Lorem Ipsum?
Yes, many themed alternatives exist: Hipster Ipsum (trendy vocabulary), Bacon Ipsum (meat-related words), Cupcake Ipsum (dessert terms), Corporate Ipsum (business jargon), Pirate Ipsum, and Zombie Ipsum. Some designers prefer using actual content drafts or language-specific placeholder text.
How much Lorem Ipsum text should I use in mockups?
Use enough text to represent realistic content length for your design. Most Lorem Ipsum generators let you specify words, sentences, or paragraphs. For headlines, use 3-8 words; for body text, match expected content length. Too little text won't test your layout properly; too much wastes space.