Random text generator: lorem ipsum and beyond
Lorem ipsum placeholder text has been an industry standard in editorial design since the 1960s. It allows designers and developers to create mockups with realistic-looking text without real content, preventing readers from being distracted by meaning and focusing on the design instead.
Where does lorem ipsum come from?
"Lorem ipsum" comes from "De finibus bonorum et malorum" (45 BC) by Cicero, though altered and scrambled. Richard McClintock, a philologist at Hampden-Sydney College, traced its origin in 1994. The first word "Lorem" is a contraction of "dolorem" (pain in Latin).
When to use placeholder text
- UI/UX prototypes before real content is available.
- Testing typography, line spacing, and column layout.
- Design proposal presentations to clients.
- Email or document templates to be filled in later.
- Database performance testing with bulk data.
Alternatives to classic lorem ipsum
For more specific projects there are thematic text generators: natural-language text in the target language, literary quotes, or even "hipster ipsum" and "bacon ipsum" for a humorous touch in mockups. Text in the final language of the project is always more representative for design testing.