What is Lorem Ipsum
Open any design software's placeholder text feature, and the default is usually this passage: "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit..."
This seemingly garbled Latin has been the design industry's standard placeholder text for 500 years. But where does it come from? And why use this text instead of something else?
Historical Origin
From a Classical Work
Lorem Ipsum is not made-up gibberish. It comes from "De finibus bonorum et malorum" ("On the Ends of Good and Evil"), written by the Roman philosopher Cicero in 45 BC—specifically, Book 1, Section 32.
The original is a philosophical text on ethics, written in Latin.
Who Started Using It
Research suggests that in the 16th century, a printer scrambled and rearranged this passage to create type specimens. Because the text itself carried no commercial meaning and had complete grammar, it was ideal for typesetting demonstrations.
Modern Popularity
In the 1960s, Letraset (a dry-transfer lettering manufacturer) printed Lorem Ipsum on transfer sheets to promote their typeface specimens. From then on, Lorem Ipsum entered the mainstream and became a design industry standard.
In the 1980s, Aldus Corporation's PageMaker software (an early desktop publishing program) included Lorem Ipsum as built-in placeholder text, further cementing its status.
Why Use Lorem Ipsum
Doesn't Distract Reviewers
When real text is used as a placeholder, reviewers tend to get distracted reading the content and overlook the layout. Lorem Ipsum is Latin—most people can't read it, so they don't try, and they focus on the design instead.
Realistic Typesetting Results
Lorem Ipsum is not random letters piled together. It has complete grammatical structure and a realistic word-length distribution. Its letter frequency, word spacing, and sentence length closely approximate real English, so the typesetting looks more realistic than random letters.
Industry Convention
A 500-year-old convention. Designers, clients, and developers all recognize it—when they see it, they know it's placeholder text, with no explanation needed.
Neutral and Unambiguous
Using real text can create ambiguity (clients might think the copy is finalized). Lorem Ipsum clearly signals "this is just a placeholder."
Original Text and Meaning
Original Passage
"Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem."
Translation
"No one loves pain itself, or seeks it out wanting to suffer, but occasionally circumstances arise in which toil and pain can bring great pleasure."
What It Discusses
Cicero is discussing Epicurean ethics in this passage: why people sometimes actively choose pain (because pain can bring greater pleasure). It is a philosophical discussion, not meaningless text.
Why Not Just Use Real Text
Content Interference
When real copy is used, reviewers judge the content ("is this sentence well-written?") rather than the design ("does the layout look good?"). The design review phase doesn't need content involvement.
Copy Not Finalized
At the design draft stage, the copy often isn't written yet. Using real text may lead people to assume it's the final copy, causing misunderstandings.
Uncontrollable Length
The length of real copy is uncertain—you don't know how much to fill when placing it. Lorem Ipsum can be generated at any length as needed.
Modern Variants
Chinese Lorem Ipsum
Chinese design needs Chinese placeholders. Common approaches:
- Random Chinese character combinations
- Classical text placeholders (excerpts from "Dream of the Red Chamber" or "Tao Te Ching")
- The universal internet "test text"
Other Language Versions
Design industries in various countries have localized placeholder text, but Lorem Ipsum is the international standard.
Fun Variants
- Cupcake Ipsum: uses dessert names as placeholders
- Bacon Ipsum: uses meat-related terms
- Cat Ipsum: uses cat-related words
These are fun variants; for formal occasions, standard Lorem Ipsum is still the way to go.
Usage Tips
When to Use It
- Design draft layout testing
- Typeface showcase
- Prototype placeholders
- Web development filling
When Not to Use It
- Final drafts with confirmed content
- Features that need real data for testing
- Client presentations (may need real copy to show the effect)
Label Placeholders
In deliverables, label "Lorem ipsum is placeholder text" to prevent clients from assuming it's content to go live with.
Generate Lorem Ipsum with DocsAll
- Choose paragraphs / sentences / word count
- Specify the quantity
- Generate standard Lorem Ipsum text
- Copy and use
Generated in the browser—ready to use right away.
Summary
Lorem Ipsum comes from Cicero's philosophical work from 45 BC and has been used as typesetting placeholder text since the 16th century. It's used because it has complete grammar, produces realistic typesetting, doesn't distract design reviews, and is an industry convention. DocsAll Lorem Ipsum Tool generates it in one click, running in the browser.