Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum is placeholder text used in design and publishing to simulate content, allowing teams to focus on layout, typography, and composition..
TL;DR
- Acts as filler text in design and publishing.
- Helps test layouts without real content.
- Keeps attention on typography and composition.
- Prevents bias from actual wording during design.
Definition
Lorem Ipsum is pseudo-Latin filler text commonly used in design and publishing workflows to test layouts, typography, and composition before final content is available.
Detailed Overview
Lorem Ipsum has become a standard placeholder in design and publishing for centuries. It provides designers and developers with a way to test layouts before final content is ready. By filling space with pseudo-Latin text, teams can focus on how typography, spacing, and composition work in practice without getting distracted by wording.
A common question is where Lorem Ipsum comes from. Its origins trace back to a scrambled section of “De finibus bonorum et malorum,” a text written by Cicero in 45 BC. Though the content has no real meaning, it resembles natural language, making it ideal for simulating real text flows in documents or interfaces.
Another recurring question is why teams use Lorem Ipsum instead of actual copy. Real content often changes during projects, and using Lorem Ipsum keeps teams focused on structure rather than debating phrasing too early. It allows designers to see how different lengths of text affect layouts, especially when testing line breaks, spacing, and hierarchy.
Design systems often rely on Lorem Ipsum for stress testing. For instance, filling a card component with long paragraphs ensures that spacing rules hold up. This helps prevent issues like text clipping, overflow, or unbalanced alignment once real content is added. Without placeholder text, teams risk underestimating how designs behave under different content conditions.
Some ask whether Lorem Ipsum has drawbacks. It does. When overused, it can hide problems. Placeholder text lacks meaning, so it cannot test whether the content communicates effectively. Usability testing with Lorem Ipsum often misrepresents how users will interact with real content. For this reason, teams typically replace it with draft or representative copy before final reviews.
Finally, digital tools have expanded Lorem Ipsum usage. Many design platforms include built-in generators for placeholder text, allowing designers to add content instantly.
Learn more about this in the Lorem Ipsum Exercise, taken from the Elements of Typography Lesson, a part of the Design Terminology Course.
Recommended resources
Courses
Common Design Patterns
UI Components II
UX Writing
Information Architecture
Lessons
Elements of Typography
How to Use Text in Wireframes
Typography in Page Design
FAQs
Designers use it to avoid distraction and focus on structure. Real text often sparks debates about wording too early, pulling attention away from layout. Placeholder text lets teams test how typography and spacing behave in different contexts.
Later, real content replaces the placeholder to validate communication and usability.
Yes. Lorem Ipsum is based on a passage from Cicero’s “De finibus bonorum et malorum” written in 45 BC. Over time, it was scrambled to create nonsensical but natural-looking text. Its resemblance to real language makes it useful for simulating body copy.
The pseudo-Latin form ensures it doesn’t carry distracting meaning.
Yes. If teams rely on it too long, they risk missing communication issues. Placeholder text cannot test clarity or tone, so designs may look good visually but fail with real content.
The best practice is to use Lorem Ipsum early, then replace it with draft copy as the project matures.
It helps stress test layouts and components. Designers use it to fill cards, forms, or pages with varying lengths of text to see how spacing rules hold up. This prevents issues like overflow, uneven alignment, or inconsistent sizing.
Testing with placeholder text ensures designs are resilient before actual content arrives.
Yes. Some teams use “realistic fake text” that mimics content tone, or random text generators designed for specific industries. These alternatives provide a closer simulation of final copy.
Still, Lorem Ipsum remains popular because it is quick, standardized, and widely recognized across design workflows.