The Fascinating History of Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Genius Team
Product Designer & Developer
Written based on real-world design and development experience
The Fascinating History of Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum is everywhere in design, but few people know its remarkable history. This ancient text has traveled through centuries, from Roman philosophy to your latest web project.
Ancient Origins
Cicero's Original Work
Lorem Ipsum originates from "De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (On the Ends of Good and Evil), written by Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero in 45 BC.
The original passage discusses ethical philosophy—specifically, the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Here's a translation of the source text:
"Nor is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure."
Why This Text?
Cicero's work was chosen because:
- It was widely known among educated Europeans
- The Latin appeared authentic and grammatically correct
- The text had a natural distribution of letters similar to English
- Long passages were available for sampling
The Printing Revolution
1500s: Type Specimens
The modern use of Lorem Ipsum began in the 1500s when an unknown printer scrambled Cicero's text to create a type specimen book. This allowed printers to showcase different typefaces without the distraction of meaningful content.
The scrambled text served several purposes:
- Demonstration - Showing font characteristics
- Layout testing - Filling page designs
- Print proofing - Checking print quality
- Sales materials - Creating font catalogs
Why Scramble It?
Printers deliberately altered the text because:
- Readers wouldn't be distracted by the content
- Focus would remain on the typography
- It appeared more neutral than repeating simple phrases
- It maintained a "realistic" text appearance
20th Century Revival
1960s: Letraset
Lorem Ipsum gained widespread popularity in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets—transfer lettering used by graphic designers before computers.
Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages became standard tools in design studios worldwide. Designers would physically transfer letters and text onto their layouts.
Desktop Publishing Era
The text received another boost in the 1980s with desktop publishing software. Aldus PageMaker included Lorem Ipsum as sample text, introducing it to a new generation of digital designers.
Modern Digital Age
The Internet Era
With the rise of web design, Lorem Ipsum became even more essential:
- 1990s - Early web designers adopted it for HTML layouts
- 2000s - Lorem Ipsum generators appeared online
- 2010s - Integration into design tools like Sketch and Figma
- 2020s - AI and creative variations emerged
Creative Variations
Modern designers have created fun alternatives:
- Hipster Ipsum - Trendy coffee shop vocabulary
- Cupcake Ipsum - Sweet dessert-themed text
- Bacon Ipsum - Meat-lover's placeholder
- Zombie Ipsum - Horror-themed text
- Cat Ipsum - Feline-focused nonsense
The Text Itself
Standard Lorem Ipsum
The most common version begins:
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit..."
This is a scrambled excerpt from Cicero's original, with some letters changed and words altered to be meaningless.
Section 1.10.32
The passage comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of Cicero's work. A portion of the original Latin reads:
"Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium..."
Cultural Impact
In Popular Culture
Lorem Ipsum has appeared in:
- Movie props and set designs
- TV show mockups
- Book and magazine illustrations
- Video game interfaces
- Actual printed publications (by accident!)
"Greeking"
The practice of using Lorem Ipsum is sometimes called "greeking" in the design industry, referencing the phrase "it's all Greek to me" for incomprehensible text.
Why It Endures
Lorem Ipsum remains popular because:
- Familiarity - Designers instantly recognize it
- Neutrality - It doesn't distract from design
- Authenticity - It looks like real text
- Availability - Easy to generate and access
- Standardization - Industry-wide acceptance
Fun Facts
- Lorem Ipsum is over 2,000 years old
- The phrase "Lorem ipsum" doesn't mean anything in Latin
- Some believe "Lorem" is a corruption of "dolorem" (pain)
- A 1914 Latin dictionary attempted to define it (unsuccessfully)
- There are Lorem Ipsum generators for over 50 languages
Conclusion
From ancient Roman philosophy to modern web design, Lorem Ipsum has had a remarkable journey. What started as a philosophical treatise has become an indispensable tool for designers and developers worldwide.
Next time you generate Lorem Ipsum, remember you're using text with a 2,000-year history—connecting you to Roman philosophers, Renaissance printers, and millions of designers throughout history.
