Lorem Ipsum: The 500-Year-Old Placeholder Text We Still Use Today
Ever wondered about that nonsense Latin text designers use? It has a fascinating history dating back to the 1500s. Learn the story behind the filler.
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..." If you're a designer or developer, you know these words by heart. But what do they mean, and where did they come from?
A Happy Accident
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum isn't just random gibberish. It's rooted in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2,000 years old! The passage comes from Cicero's "De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil).
The standard chunk we use today has been scrambled, stripped of meaning, and used as placeholder text since the 1500s. An unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Why Use It?
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using "Content here, content here", making it look like readable English. This allows the viewer to focus on the layout and design rather than reading the text itself.
Generate Your Own
Need filler text for your next project? Our Lorem Ipsum Generator lets you create paragraphs, sentences, or words of this classic dummy text instantly.
Whether you're mocking up a website or laying out a brochure, Lorem Ipsum is the industry standard for a reason. It's timeless, neutral, and effective.
Try it yourself!
Ready to put this into practice? Check out our free Lorem Ipsum Generator and see how it can help you today.
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