Notes on Lorem Ipsum

What is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is placeholder text used in the publishing and graphic design industries. It is often used when the focus is on visual design rather than the textual content itself.

Origin: Derived from a real Latin text written in 45 BC by Cicero.

Why Use Lorem Ipsum?

  • Focus on layout and design without text distractions
  • Standardize examples across different projects
  • Ensure visual design is text-agnostic

Historical Roots

The phrase "Lorem Ipsum" originates from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero.

The text has been intentionally obfuscated with Greek letters ("Lorem Ipsum") and rearranged to create a pseudo-Latin that is not legible but maintains the word lengths for design purposes.

Best Practices

  • Use it in final designs only if the client requests
  • Consider using real content with tools like loremipsum.com
  • Always replace placeholder text before publishing final work