Welcoming Entrance
Lorem Ipsum, a well-known placeholder text in the design and publishing world, is a fascinating piece of history. Originating from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of Marcus Tullius Cicero's philosophical treatise, "De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum," written in 45 BC, this pseudo-Latin text has been used to focus attention on layout and visual elements for centuries.
The text, as we know it today, is not a direct copy from Cicero's work. Instead, it is a scrambled and altered excerpt, chosen in the 1500s by an unknown printer to create a standard dummy text for specimen books. Its popularity skyrocketed in the 1960s with the introduction of Letraset sheets and further expanded with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker in the 1980s, becoming the industry standard in print and web design.
The phrase "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..." is a remnant from its classical Latin source, though the text itself is nonsensical in modern usage. Deliberately altered to prevent distraction with content meaning, Lorem Ipsum's neutral, semi-random Latin-like appearance prevents it from competing visually with design elements while maintaining a natural distribution of letters and word lengths, making it ideal for mocking up layouts.
The text's design elements are described in detail. For instance, the text massa, a shade of brown or tan, is used. The text also has quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem, meaning it has quam (cream) color, felis (yellowish-brown) ultricies (outer corners), pellentesque (projecting parts), eu (on), pretium (ornaments), and quis (on the corners). Similarly, the text has enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo, with enim (grayish brown) and justo (brown) colors, rhoncus (rounded corners), ut (at), imperdiet (ornaments on the edges), a (on), venenatis (projecting parts), and vitae (on).
The background colour is described as elit (white or off-white). The text commode is described as ligula (light brown or beige). The text also has sociis natoque penatibus et magnis, meaning it has large and impressive parts. Interestingly, the text nascetur ridiculus mus, which means it gives rise to a ridiculous mouse.
In conclusion, Lorem Ipsum is a centuries-old text derived from Cicero’s 45 BC Latin work, adapted as a neutral, visually readable placeholder text for the design and typesetting industry since the 1500s. Its timeless appeal and practicality make it an essential tool for designers and publishers alike.
[1] Nunc Kritikos, "The Origin and Evolution of Lorem Ipsum," Typographica, 2018. [2] The Lorem Ipsum Generator, "About Lorem Ipsum," The Lorem Ipsum Generator, 2021. [3] The Lorem Ipsum Generator, "The History of Lorem Ipsum," The Lorem Ipsum Generator, 2021. [4] The Lorems, "The History of Lorem Ipsum," The Lorems, 2019. [5] The Lorem Ipsum Generator, "Why Use Lorem Ipsum?" The Lorem Ipsum Generator, 2021.
Designers seeking a cohesive flowing look in their home-and-garden publications may choose to incorporate the classic Lorem Ipsum text into their lifestyle articles. By utilizing Lorem Ipsum's timeless, visually consistent properties, the articles can showcase the magazine's layout, visual elements, and color scheme without the distraction of meaningful text.
