lipsum

Lipsum, or Lorem ipsum, is placeholder text used in the publishing and design industries to demonstrate the visual characteristics of a document, font, or layout without relying on meaningful content. By simulating letter distribution and word lengths, it helps designers evaluate typography, spacing, and composition.

Origin and history: The text is derived from a Latin work by Cicero, De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, written in 45 BCE. The passages were altered and scrambled over time, and the standard Lorem ipsum sequence — beginning with "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet" — gained prominence in the 20th century as printers and typesetters adopted it. Its modern ubiquity increased with Letraset sheets in the 1960s and later with digital publishing tools.

Content and usage: It is not intended to convey readable content; the sequence combines common Latin words with irregular grammar to mimic natural language. It is used to fill blocks of text in layouts, templates, mockups, and wireframes, allowing designers to focus on appearance rather than meaning. Variants exist, including non-Latin placeholder text and locale-specific versions that resemble the target language.

Tools and variants: Many software tools and online services generate lorem ipsum text. The LaTeX package named lipsum provides commands to insert specified amounts of text; other programming libraries and web generators let users choose paragraphs, sentences, or words and to select languages.