What is Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text used in typesetting and page layout before printing. Lorem Ipsum has been the printing industry's standard dummy text since the 1500s, when an unknown printer assembled pieces of text to create a type specimen book. It has not only survived for five centuries but has also adapted to electronic desktop publishing without its content being altered. It was popularized in the 1960s through the sale of Letraset sheets containing passages of Lorem Ipsum, and more recently, through its inclusion in page layout applications like Aldus PageMaker.
Why use it?
It has long been known that working with readable, meaningful text is distracting and prevents one from focusing on the layout itself. The advantage of Lorem Ipsum over generic text like "Text. Text. Text." is that it has a more or less normal letter distribution—comparable to that of standard French. Many page layout software suites and website editors have made Lorem Ipsum their default dummy text, and a search for "Lorem Ipsum" will lead you to numerous sites that are still under construction. Several versions have appeared over time—sometimes by accident, often intentionally (to add little inside jokes or even embarrassing phrases).
Where does it come from?
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has its roots in a work of classical Latin literature dating back to 45 BC, making it 2,000 years old. A professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia took an interest in one of the most obscure Latin words—*consectetur*—found in a *Lorem Ipsum* passage; by studying every instance of the word in classical literature, he discovered the definitive source of *Lorem Ipsum*. It actually originates from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of Cicero's *De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum* (On the Ends of Good and Evil). This work, highly popular during the Renaissance, is a treatise on ethical theory. The opening lines of *Lorem Ipsum*—"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..."—come from section 1.10.32.
The standard *Lorem Ipsum* excerpt used since the 16th century is reproduced below for the curious. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of Cicero's *De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum* are also reproduced here in their original version, accompanied by H. Rackham's English translation (1914).
Where can I get it?
Various versions of *Lorem Ipsum* can be found scattered across the web, but most have been altered by the addition of humor or random words that bear no resemblance to standard text. If you wish to use a *Lorem Ipsum* passage, you need to ensure there is nothing embarrassing hidden within the text. Most online *Lorem Ipsum* generators tend to endlessly repeat the same excerpt, making lipsum.com the only true *Lorem Ipsum* generator. It uses a dictionary of over 200 Latin words, combined with various sentence structures, to generate flawless *Lorem Ipsum* text. The resulting *Lorem Ipsum* contains no repetitions, nonsensical words, or touches of humor.