What is Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum is placeholder text, often referred to as "dummy text," commonly used in the graphic, print, and publishing industries for previewing layouts and visual mockups.
The term "Lorem Ipsum" refers to a text excerpt from a piece of classical Latin literature by Cicero (106 BC).
Even though the text doesn't make sense, it has an interesting background. Keep on reading.
How to Use Our Lorem Ipsum Generator tool
The tool is extremely easy to use. All you need to do is:
Select the Number of Characters: Choose how many characters of Lorem Ipsum text you need.
Copy the Text: Once the text is generated, simply copy it and paste it in your product or design project as a placeholder.
The Origins of Lorem Ipsum
This practice dates back to the 15th century and is often attributed to an unknown typesetter who supposedly rearranged parts of Cicero's De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum to create a sample book showing different fonts and layouts. The text typically begins with the familiar line:
“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.”
Here are the original Latin excerpts:
Original Latin text from Section 1.10.32 of Cicero’s “De finibus bonorum et malorum”:
“Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit amet consectetur adipisci[ng] velit, sed quia non numquam [do] eius modi tempora inci[di]dunt, ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit, qui in ea voluptate velit esse, quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum, qui dolorem eum fugiat, quo voluptas nulla pariatur?”
Purpose and Usage
The primary purpose of Lorem Ipsum is to generate a block of text that appears natural and does not distract from the overall layout and design. This technique allows designers to focus on the visual aspects of their work rather than the content.
The use of placeholder text in designs has been debated, but it remains an useful way to focus on design when starting a project. This method helps designers concentrate on how things look without getting distracted by real content.
Lorem Ipsum gained significant popularity in the 1960s when Letraset included it in their dry-transfer sheets, and it saw another resurgence in the 1990s as desktop publishing software incorporated the text into their tools. Today, Lorem Ipsum is widely used across the web in templates, websites, and stock designs.
When to Use Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum is best suited for:
Keeping Templates from Looking Bare: Placeholder text can make a template look complete, giving a better sense of the final product.
Minimizing Distractions: When designing or reviewing drafts, Lorem Ipsum helps focus on design elements rather than getting distracted by actual content.
Here are some practical examples:
Web Design: Use Lorem Ipsum to fill in text areas on web pages to see how your design will look with text.
Print Media: Apply Lorem Ipsum to magazine layouts, brochures, or flyers to preview your design before the actual content is ready.
Software Development: Software developers can use Lorem Ipsum to test their UI/UX without waiting for final content.
When Not to Use Lorem Ipsum
While Lorem Ipsum is incredibly useful, there are situations where it may not be appropriate:
Final Presentations or Client Reviews: Using Lorem Ipsum in a final presentation can give the impression that the content is incomplete or not taken seriously.
Content-Sensitive Designs: If the layout or design heavily relies on the content, such as in editorial design or advertising, using Lorem Ipsum might mislead or detract from the effectiveness of the design.
SEO and Content Strategy: For web projects where SEO and content strategy are crucial, using Lorem Ipsum can be counterproductive, as it doesn't represent the keywords and content structure needed for optimization.
FAQ
Is Lorem Ipsum fake Latin?
Yes, Lorem Ipsum is a form of pseudo-Latin. It's derived from a work by Cicero but has been altered, by adding new words and making it nonsensical. Originally used in typesetting and printing, Lorem Ipsum serves as placeholder text to demonstrate design layouts and typography. It mimics the structure of natural language without meaning, allowing designers to focus on visual elements without the distraction of actual content.
How to generate Lorem Ipsum text?
To generate Lorem Ipsum text, all you need to do is to input the length in characters and the calculator will ouput the desired text.
How do you translate Lorem Ipsum?
Here is the English translation by H. Rackham (1914):
"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"
