Tired of reading the words “Lorem Ipsum” time and time again? Don’t worry. We got the top alternatives that will make you forget all about it for good.
You open that brand new prototype – it’s so fresh that it almost has that new car smell. But after so much pain and suffering to get your UI design right, you need to add some text to see what it will look like once the product is completely finished.
So what is Lorem Ipsum?
Designers use Lorem Ipsum as a dummy text, something to cover the fact that content is missing from the wireframe. “Lorem Ipsum” is followed by more Latin text, making it easy for users or other designers to ignore it and imagine something more familiar or relevant in its place.
Even before the internet was a thing, people already used Lorem Ipsum as a filler in printing tests. The actual root of that text, however, dates back nearly 2000 years to a guy named Cicero. Today, it’s mostly used for digital design before real content is added. But here’s the thing with Lorem Ipsum: it’s not the only option.
What’s wrong with Lorem Ipsum?
Nothing. It’s a classic, after all. But we all get bored from seeing the same thing over and over again. Besides, surprising the rest of your design team with something else other than Lorem Ipsum might rip quite a few laughs and smiles – especially some of the alternatives on this list.
Lorem Ipsum is so generalized, that some people have developed a true distaste for it. Designers have all sorts of good reasons why they don’t use Lorem Ipsum – like creating the design ahead of the copy, leading to a design that will need adapting later on.
Here are our 30 favorite alternatives to the classic Lorem Ipsum.
Fillerama: text from all of your favorite shows
Fillerama is a step up from the classic Lorem Ipsum, as it has the power to entertain just about any user or designer out there. The website comes with a list of movies and shows, all of which enjoyed massive success.
We recommend Monty Python and the Holy Grail for some light-humoured dummy text. Get ready for plenty of religious references that fail to make sense – Monty Python fans know what we mean.
You can even choose your preferences in terms of headers, text format and lists. Imagine that instead of “Lorem Ipsum” your content title reads: “We want a shrubbery!!”. Your design team will have jokes for days.
Other available options include Star Wars, The Simpsons and Doctor Who. Fun!
Nietzsche Ipsum: The birth of tragically cool filler text
If Monty Python is too childish for you, here is another cool alternative to Lorem Ipsum: Nietzsche Ipsum. The German philosopher from 1800s is still very relevant today. Regardless of how you feel towards his philosophy, there is no denying that his words are elegant and still have impact.
Your design might be a more serious project, in which a text that is loquacious and somewhat old-fashioned would work better. Nietzsche’s work is famous for its density, which makes this a perfect alternative to Lorem Ipsum where a lengthy text is missing from the product.
Office Ipsum: what you’ve heard in every meeting ever
Lorem Ipsum is great because we all know what it means, even if we don’t understand Latin. It means you need something to fill in this blank space here. But what if you were to replace that text in Latin with something most of your peers already know and would find very funny? Yes, that’s right. Office talk.
Office Ipsum is great, because it repeats things we all have heard at one point in business meetings or client feedback sessions. It serves the same purpose as Lorem Ipsum, but brings more personality and humor to your design.
Sagan and deGrasse Ipsum: the magic of the cosmos in your design
The universe is full of amazing and interesting phenomena, as you can clearly tell by any Neil deGrasse Tyson book ever.
To take advantage of that, consider using either Sagan Ipsum or deGrasse Ipsum. Both are guaranteed to be far more interesting than Lorem Ipsum.
Sangan Ipsum uses quotes from world famous astronomer Carl Sagan, and tends to present longer paragraphs with 3 or 4 sentences. In contrast, deGrasse Ipsum normally mimics Tyson’s own books, which are filled with short paragraphs, with one or two short sentences.
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Khaled Ipsum: DJ cool-text
One of the most famous rappers and producers out there today, DJ Khaled is always one to talk about success and his own philosophy when it comes to money and work. He’s conquered the hearts and ears of millions of people… and designers everywhere.
Khaled Ipsum generates text from his music and his book (The Keys, 2016). You can expect long paragraphs of very short sentences, usually with the same repetition you would expect in some of Khaled’s most famous hits.
If your project is too casual and young for a 2000 year-old text in a dead language (we’re looking at you, Lorem Ipsum), maybe letting one of the most famous celebrities today be a part of your design is the answer. Even if you’re not a fan of his music, it’d be amusing!
Delorean Ipsum: back to awesome filler text!
Back to the Future will live forever in the minds of fans everywhere. The Hollywood classic touched generations and continues to be instantly recognizable. How about including one of its lines in your design as opposed to ever-present Lorem Ipsum?
Delorean Ipsum allows you to choose the quantity of text and which character you want to be cited in the text. We here at Justinmind cannot get enough of Doc’s crazy lines which will never fail to rip a smile from the user.
“Calm down, Marty, I didn’t disintegrate anything. The molecular structure of Einstein and the car are completely intact. Marty you gotta come back with me. Of course, from a group of Libyan Nationalists. They wanted me to build them a bomb, so I took their plutonium and in turn gave them a shiny bomb case full of used pinball machine parts. Yoo. Yoo.”
Obama Ipsum: yes we can (have awesome text)!
No matter what your political opinions of Obama are, very few people out there can say his speeches were poorly written. The man knew how to make a speech! Always bringing in emotion, making a moral stand or inspiring unity – Obama’s speeches had it all.
So, why not use his wise words instead of Lorem Ipsum? Obama Ipsum is bound to make your product feel more real, as it will include current issues and debates that are still on-going, even with the radical change in administration.
Besides, having Obama’s voice in your product might make it look more serious and elegant than good old Lorem Ipsum – some would say… presidential, even.
Blind Text Generator: back to the classics
The reason why this Lorem Ipsum alternative made it to the list is that it gives you so much power over the final text. You can choose the source of the text, the number or words or paragraphs and gives you the option of adding <p> tags. So practical!
A cool thing about the Blind Text Generator is that it gives you the alternative to use Lorem Ipsum in English or in its original form (we prefer the Kafka mode, but that’s just us).
“Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it?”
Do you think if you used the classic Lorem Ipsum bit in English your peers would suspect it? Most likely, they will consider it to be some deep poetry from the old days – and they wouldn’t be wrong, would they?
Rick and Morty Ipsum: get a swifty text in your design
Rick and Morty has shown the world that cartoons for adults can have a different take on humor than the Simpsons – and still be a massive success. We all know that having a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is no joke!
A big reason why the show has enjoyed so much success is one of the main characters: drunken genius grandfather who travels across dimensions and is skeptical of everything. He’s the big selling point of the show, and he could also breathe new life into your design.
If you product deals in anything related to science or if your brand identity enjoys a playful tone, with humor being part of your design, Rick and Morty Ipsum might be perfect for you. The text generator adds random sentences from the show together to form paragraphs, resulting in some hilarious filler texts, like this one:
“Crocubot. So, you’re a cold, unfeeling reptile and also an equally cold, and unfeeling machine? Yes. So your origin is what? You fell in a vat of redundancy?”
Be warned: the show tends to use some strong language, which means the generated text will also have the occasional curse word. You definitely won’t have that problem with Lorem Ipsum, but all designers must live their lives on the edge eventually… right?
Pirate Ipsum: walk the plank to good filler text
Who doesn’t love pirates? Pirate Ipsum is another great Lorem Ipsum alternative that lightens the mood, aiming to be both useful and entertaining. The generator gives us the option to dictate how many sentences we need as well as the number of paragraphs.
It makes for a fun touch to any prototype or wireframe, while still doing that crucial job of occupying space. It’s true that this kind of Lorem Ipsum alternative isn’t suitable for any project out there, but it can still have its uses! You can also check out our list of incredible wireframe examples for more inspiration.
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Cupcake Ipsum: keeping things sweet
Cupcake Ipsum is all about keeping things sweet. This Lorem Ipsum alternative mentions endless baking and cooking terms that go on for as long as we need it to. This is probably a great option for any product that is about cooking in general – even more so if it’s about desserts.
Cupcake Ipsum is also a great option for products that deal in a younger vibe, keeping things light and funny. We love that the generator gives us control over how much text to generate and how long paragraphs ought to be. This makes it even easier to use the generated text, requiring very little adjustments inside the prototyping tool.
Cheese Ipsum: cheesy text for everybody
Desserts and sweets aren’t for everyone – but who doesn’t like cheese? Cheese Ipsum goes for a similar effect to Cupcake Ipsum, but focusing on all the different types and shapes of cheese out there. Mozzarella, anyone?
This Lorem Ipsum alternative can be a great option for designs that deal with savory food or for any design team that loves their cheese. It’s silly, fun and still gets the job done when it comes to the design process.
Zombie Ipsum: subtle but creepy filler text
This alternative is surprisingly close to the classic Lorem Ipsum. It’s still in Latin and can probably be used for any design. Zombie Ipsum can be used in a prototype and most people probably wouldn’t even notice the difference until they looked closer and saw the words “Zombieland” and “Rick Grimes” thrown in with the rest.
It’s true that while quite similar to classic Lorem Ipsum, this alternative has a darker vibe that comes from using words like “de carne lumbering animata corpora quaeritis”. With that said, we still love this option because of how subtle it is compared to some of the other Lorem Ipsum alternatives.
Cat Ipsum: litter prototypes with cat talk
This Lorem Ipsum alternative is done in English, written as if said by a cat. Cat Ipsum makes for a truly funny and entertaining form of filler text, often referencing things like a dislike for dogs and demands for more food. It’s very light and can work really well for both children’s products or anything related to pets.
Even if the product isn’t necessarily about cats or pets in general, it can still be a great alternative to Lorem Ipsum. It certainly would make the prototype feel younger and more casual than good old Latin.
Bluth Ipsum: it’s arrested ipsum
Arrested Development has grown to have a huge cult following. The show surrounds the Bluth family as they navigate the rough waters of bankruptcy and financial ruin. And so, perhaps it should come as no surprise that someone out there took the time to create a text generator that quotes the family’s most infamous lines: Bluth Ipsum.
It’s true that the generator doesn’t allow us to control how much text or how many paragraphs are shown. Regardless, it’s still a great way to infuse any prototype with some great humour. Fans of the show will be delighted and everybody else will still get a laugh from these absurd lines.
Heisenberg Ipsum: cooking a great Lorem Ipsum alternative
Breaking Bad has grown to be one of the classics of modern TV series. Regardless of the brutal nature of the show, people all over the globe were on the edge of their seats waiting for new episodes and new story lines. Today, we can still enjoy some of the best lines from the show by using Heisenberg Ipsum as an alternative to good old Lorem Ipsum.
An interesting thing about this text generator is that it gives us the option to choose which characters in the show we want to quote. For us, the two best will undeniably be Heisenberg himself and Pinkman, which have some of the best lines in the entire series.
With all of that said, it’s true that these quotes are bound to reflect both the humour and the violence in the show. While most people will welcome the humour, it’s possible that not everyone will be down with the violence and constant references to meth. What can you do, right?
