Mallitulosteet

Mallitulosteet is a term used in printing and graphic design to describe preliminary prints created to preview and approve a design before final production. The word combines malli (model or template) and tuloste (printout), reflecting its role as a model print used to assess layout, typography, color, and overall composition.

Mallitulosteet are typically produced in the prepress workflow to give designers, clients, and production teams a concrete reference of how the final product will look. They are often made on media and with printing settings that closely resemble the intended final run, or presented as soft proofs on calibrated displays. The aim is to detect issues early—such as spacing, margins, color balance, and image quality—before incurring the cost of a full press run.

In practice, mallitulosteet can take various forms, including color proofs, black-and-white proofs, or dummy copies that illustrate structure and binding of books, packaging, or magazines. They may be produced as hard proofs using the same printer and paper stock as the final output, or as soft proofs viewed on a calibrated monitor. Color management, including ICC profiles and proofing standards (for example ISO color guidance), is often involved to ensure that the proof approximates the final result.

Mallitulosteet are a cost-saving and quality-control step in publishing, packaging, and commercial print workflows, balancing accuracy with efficiency while enabling timely client feedback and design iteration.