How Latin Text Can Keep You from Getting Fired

I think I've learned my lesson, but you know, sometimes I can't resist.

We've all been designing a website or brochure or something and need some dummy text. Well, sometimes I get this crazy idea to write fake text, thinking no one will ever read it...they'll just think it's dummy text. We've all done it, right?

Well, that's not always true. Years ago, I was designing a brochure for a geriatric clinic and decided to write fake copy about liver spots and thinning hair. It was not appreciated. Not by the client or my boss. I sure got scolded for that one...not fired mind you, but my hand was slapped.

I have to admit, I've done it since then, but not so obviously. Most people don't read that stuff, but to be sure, some do.

I've actually gotten better at copyrighting in the process, or at least better at BSing.

As graphic designers, we've all seen dummy text, and many of us have used it. If you don't know what it is, it's believable looking Latin text that can be used as a place holder in mock-ups and comps.

Lorem Ipsum Is what the industry calls this stuff. It's text generated to look like sentences, paragraphs, etc.

Well, I found a site that generates Lorem Ipsum text for you.

This guy has coded the site to generate text as paragraphs, words, bytes and even lists. You can specify how many paragraphs you need for example. Like this:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Etiam odio turpis, tempor a, sagittis eleifend, condimentum quis, nunc. Suspendisse nec ipsum. Pellentesque lobortis auctor augue. Cras tortor lacus, vulputate id, imperdiet vitae, mollis sed, neque. Vivamus lorem augue, malesuada et, lobortis at, tincidunt et, orci. Mauris quis pede id lectus sodales lobortis.

Vestibulum nonummy varius nulla. Quisque lectus odio, dignissim vitae, mattis faucibus, accumsan id, lectus. Donec tempor tellus a dolor. Phasellus viverra ligula et urna. Etiam massa. Integer faucibus lacinia orci. Ut malesuada purus a odio. Vivamus non tellus. Mauris congue scelerisque tellus. Duis dolor. Integer quis leo.

Sed pellentesque convallis diam. Sed porta consectetuer libero. Cras tincidunt sapien vel nulla.

or lists like this:

* Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
* Etiam semper aliquet diam.
* In aliquam lectus sit amet massa.
* Donec pulvinar neque vitae magna.

* Cras quis orci eu velit mollis consequat.
* Etiam imperdiet consequat elit.
* Aliquam posuere mollis velit.
* Praesent ac velit sed lectus accumsan euismod.
* Morbi congue vehicula eros.
* Quisque at leo eu turpis iaculis auctor.

The site has some interesting historical facts about Lorem Ipsum in case you want to know why the industry uses it and where the text came from.

Apparently it originated in the 1500s, and is from a writing called The Extremes of Good and Evil by Cicero, written in 45 BC.

Anyway, just thought you might be interested.

Hope this helps.

What do you think?
1. Do you use greeking or do you try to come up with fake copy?
2. Have you ever come up with fake copy and it came back to haunt you?
3. Have you ever set type in a galley?