What’s the Meaning of Lorem Ipsum and Why Should I Use It?

Posted: 26 Mar 2025

Lorem Ipsum is the standard placeholder text used in design, publishing, and web development. It’s a block of scrambled Latin that fills spaces where real content will eventually go.

If you’ve ever worked with a designer or played around with a website builder, you’ve probably seen it: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit...

But what does it actually mean, and why is it everywhere?

What Is Lorum Ipsum?

Lorem Ipsum is dummy text used to demonstrate the appearance of a page or design without the distraction of meaningful content.

It’s especially popular for designers to focus on structure, typography and layout before inserting actual copy.

Example of lorum ipsum text written over two sentences

Why Do We Use Lorem Ipsum Text?

Using placeholder text has practical benefits and is commonly used by the designers here at instantprint.

Here’s why it’s become the industry standard:

Avoids Distractions – Real text can shift the focus from design to content. Placeholder text keeps the attention on the structure.
Mimics Natural Text Flow – Lorem Ipsum looks like real language, helping designers understand how text will fit in the final layout.
Prevents Premature Edits – If a design is reviewed too early with real content, changes might focus on wording rather than layout.
Works Across Different Mediums – It’s equally useful for print, digital, and mobile interfaces, making it a universal tool.

Where Does Lorem Ipsum Originally Come From?

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum isn’t just random text.

It originates from a work by the Roman philosopher Cicero, specifically his book De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum (On the Ends of Good and Evil), written in 45 BC.

The text has since been modified and scrambled, making it meaningless but still visually similar to readable Latin. It has also been written to replicate the flow of English, which is easier on the readers eye.

How to Create Lorem Ipsum Copy

If you need Lorem Ipsum for a design project, you don’t have to type it out manually. Many tools can generate it online which makes it really easy for you to use:

Online Generators – Websites like Lipsum.com create paragraphs of Lorem Ipsum at the click of a button.
Word Processors – Many text editors, including Microsoft Word, offer built-in Lorem Ipsum generators.
Design Software – Adobe products like Photoshop and InDesign can generate Lorem Ipsum automatically. Near the bottom of this blog post, we've also explained how you can use it within Adobe products.

If you need some to quickly paste into a document, here's a block of Lorem Ipsum for you to use (keep copy and pasting if you need more):

	Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce pharetra nec elit in tempus. Etiam dignissim leo a consectetur luctus. In ullamcorper ipsum a purus suscipit, et tristique lectus accumsan. Aenean gravida arcu erat. Donec vitae libero at mauris ultrices dictum. Pellentesque gravida sem quis nisi dictum, sed facilisis nisi ultricies. Nullam ac nunc ante. Sed tincidunt, tortor a pellentesque commodo, erat lorem posuere ligula, vel auctor velit ligula ut libero. Sed dolor orci, interdum a massa id, porta feugiat nunc.
	
	Aliquam rhoncus nulla eget feugiat ornare.
	
	Proin auctor iaculis tristique. Suspendisse eu dignissim velit. Nunc diam massa, pellentesque vitae pulvinar id, vestibulum in augue. Curabitur malesuada dui vel odio pharetra, quis egestas nisi malesuada. Duis dignissim quis nisi id bibendum. Phasellus vitae ex eu nulla finibus viverra. Integer arcu nisi, venenatis at dapibus at, imperdiet in dui. Nunc at tincidunt massa. Donec auctor erat non felis blandit, vitae dapibus lacus sagittis.

Where is Lorem Ipsum Used?

Lorem Ipsum is widely used across various design fields both online and offline. Modern day examples include:

Print Design – Magazines, brochures, and newspapers use it to format text before actual articles are inserted.
Web Development – Website templates and landing pages use Lorem Ipsum to preview layouts.
UI/UX Design – Apps and software interfaces use it to test readability and spacing.
Typography Testing – Fonts are often showcased using Lorem Ipsum to demonstrate how they appear in paragraphs.

Example of lorum ipsum text used on a design using adobe indesign

What is the Lorem Ipsum Translation in English?

Although Lorem Ipsum is derived from Latin, the version commonly used today is mostly nonsensical. However, when translated, parts of the original text from Cicero’s work read:

"No one dislikes pain itself, but rather the consequences of pain. Nor does anyone seek pain for the sake of pain itself."

How to Add Lorem Ipsum Text in Photoshop

If you’re working in Photoshop, adding Lorem Ipsum is easy:

Select the Type Tool (T).
Click on the canvas where you want to insert text.
Go to Type > Paste Lorem Ipsum.
Photoshop will generate a block of placeholder text instantly.

How to Add Lorem Ipsum in InDesign

InDesign offers a similar feature for generating Lorem Ipsum:

Create a text box using the Type Tool (T).
Right-click inside the text box.
Select Fill with Placeholder Text.
InDesign will automatically insert Lorem Ipsum.

How to Add Lorem Ipsum Text in Illustrator

Illustrator also allows you to insert placeholder text easily:

Select the Type Tool (T).
Click and drag to create a text area.
With the text area selected, choose Type > Fill with Placeholder Text.

Final Thoughts

Lorem Ipsum is more than just filler text. It’s an essential tool for designers and developers. It ensures that projects stay focused on visual and structural elements before the final content is added. While it doesn’t mean anything in itself, its impact on the design world is undeniable.

So, next time you see Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, you’ll know exactly why it’s there.