When to Use Placeholder Text in Your Designs

Placeholder text like lorem ipsum is a valuable design tool, but it's not always the right choice. Here's when to use it and when to opt for real content.

When Lorem Ipsum Works Best

Early-Stage Mockups

In the initial stages of design, lorem ipsum helps you:

Typography Testing

When selecting or comparing fonts, lorem ipsum provides:

UI Component Libraries

Design systems benefit from lorem ipsum for:

Client Presentations (with caveats)

Sometimes you need to present layouts before content is ready:

When to Avoid Lorem Ipsum

User Testing

Real content matters when:

Users interact differently with meaningful content than with gibberish.

Content-Heavy Designs

For designs where content is central:

Using real content helps identify:

Final Design Reviews

Never use lorem ipsum for:

Accessibility Testing

Real content is essential for:

Best Practices for Placeholder Text

Be Realistic

Match your placeholder to expected content:

Vary the Length

Don't use identical text blocks:

Label Clearly

Always indicate placeholder content:

Plan for Edge Cases

Test your design with:

The "Content First" Alternative

Some designers advocate for "content-first" design:

Benefits

Challenges

A Hybrid Approach

The best approach often combines both:

1. Start with lorem ipsum for initial exploration

2. Replace with real content as it becomes available

3. Use representative content for user testing

4. Finalize only with actual content

Conclusion

Lorem ipsum is a powerful tool when used appropriately. The key is knowing when placeholder text serves your goals and when real content is necessary. Use LoremSpark to generate the placeholder text you need, but remember to replace it with real content before launch.