Printers in the 1500s scrambled the words from Cicero’s “De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” after mixing the words in each sentence. The familiar “lorem ipsum dolor sit amet” text emerged when 16th-century printers adapted Cicero’s original work, beginning with the phrase “dolor sit amet consectetur.”

Why scrambled text? That’s exactly the point. By using text that’s unreadable but maintains the general pattern of regular writing — including normal word length, spacing, and punctuation — designers can focus on the visual elements of a layout without the actual content getting in the way. The pseudo-Latin appearance gives it a natural feel while ensuring it won’t distract from the design itself.