Lorem ipsum or dolorem ipsum translates to "pain itself." Far from being random gibberish, it originates from De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, a heavily modified work by the Roman philosopher Cicero.
Lorem ipsum or dolorem ipsum translates to "pain itself." Far from being random gibberish, it originates from De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, a heavily modified work by the Roman philosopher Cicero.
Sepenggal karya Cicero, De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, Doc. Cambridge.org
The Purpose of Lorem Ipsum
The use of Lorem ipsum in design dates back to the 1500s, coinciding with the advent of the printing press era. Its core purpose remains unchanged today: to keep the focus firmly on the visual elements of a design rather than its content. Back in the day, this practice was known as greeking. Here is how Lorem ipsum functions in design:
Presenting the overall visual aesthetic of a design.
Different font. Different look and feel.
When to Use Dummy Text
In the design world, Lorem ipsum is nothing new. It is frequently referred to as dummy text—especially if you study graphic design or visual communication design. But is there an ideal time to use it? The short answer is yes and no. So, when exactly should you use it?
Presenting a prototype.
Directing feedback toward the design rather than the copy.
Calculating the required word count.
Fatal Blunders with Lorem Ipsum
Assumptions can lead to disaster. No matter how ubiquitous dummy text is in our modern, tech-savvy era, avoid assuming that everyone understands what filler text is.
More often than not, once a design gets approved, people completely forget about the copy. This usually happens because all the energy, time, and focus were poured into perfecting the visual design elements.
Tugu Titik Nol di Ibu Kota Negara, Kalimantan Timur, Dok. X
Take, for example, what happened at Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN)—Indonesia's new planned capital city in East Kalimantan. The Point Zero Monument stood proudly, only to feature the famous placeholder text. Logically, designing a national monument involves passing through numerous approval layers, yet reality clearly told a different story.
Zero Point Monument in Indonesia’s New Capital, East Kalimantan. Doc. X
As a result, the permanent structure had to be hastily covered with a blue tarp. Here’s hoping we get to see the actual text properly engraved on the Point Zero Monument in IKN very soon.
Lorem ipsum text on the cover of Kompas daily newspaper, Doc. Kompas
A similar thing happened at daily newspaper Kompas. One of its headlines was still filled with dummy text. Kompas.id was quick to acknowledge the mistake and “make up for it” with an online article published on its website. Smart!
Modern Filler Text Variations
There’s no need to copy and paste filler text from an online generator. These days, almost every application comes programmed with its own dummy text, including Google Docs, Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint. The same goes for design applications such as Canva, Figma, and others.
There are also plenty of other filler text options that are less serious than the philosopher’s original work. There’s Hipster Ipsum, Cat Ipsum, Office Ipsum, Zombie Ipsum, and Monocle Ipsum. These were created for anyone who wants to keep things entertaining for whoever happens to see their design at every stage of the process.
And who knows, you might even find out who’s paying extra attention to the details!
