Eight years an educator: Inspiring a New Generation of Designers

For eight years now, GF Smith, Foilco and Baddeley Brothers partner and supervise a module in the Graphic Design department at Ravensbourne University.

“Imprint! Impress!” is a live brief that aims to challenge students and shape their understanding of how their designs come to life. Collaborating with their peers, they get to test ideas, produce prototypes, all within a budget as if in the commercial world. Becoming more confident about the industry, terminology in the world of print and packaging.

That’s one for the portfolio – below is a write up of each winner, who has seen their idea produced in our factory:

  • Students team up and bond over foil blocking for university collaboration

    Two students from Ravensbourne University have once again created a unique and inspiring piece that celebrates uniqueness. Rose Lwin and Jada Perry elected to take part in the Imprint Impress project, which is a collaboration between Baddeley Brothers, the university, GF Smith Papers and Foilco. Together they designed, costed and produced a piece for print,…

  • 6 Years of Imprint! Impress! Luc makes a monolithic protest using foiling against the onslaught of plastic

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    A design student has made a bold statement against plastics with an artwork made from foiling paper, while exploring the opportunities and artistic beauty of foil blocking. Luc Crossley was this year’s candidate for the Imprint Impress project undertaken every year in a collaboration between Ravensbourne University, Baddeley Brothers, GF Smith and Foilco. Luc is…

  • Baddeley Brothers take Ravensbourne graphic design student ‘into the fold’ for foiled envelope collaboration

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    An ‘eye-opener’. That’s how a 22-year graphic design student described her experience working with Baddeley Brothers in May, after winning this year’s im-print! im-press! in collaboration with GF Smith and Foilco. Nhelete Dos Santos came to the UK from Mozambique two years ago to study at Ravensbourne University. This means just before lockdown, so until…

  • Bauhaus Design Provides Winning Inspiration For Design Students

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    Taking design students out of the ‘digital’ classroom and into the noisy, machine-driven world of mechanical printing provides an insight into the process that can turn a plain piece of paper into a work of art.

  • Graphic Design Student Adds a New Dimension to Print

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    Now in its third year, the “Im–print! Im–press!” live-brief challenge for Ravensbourne University Year 2 Department of Design Practice students invited them to propose a design that celebrates the materiality and physicality of print through paper, foil and print production.

  • Inspiring a New Generation of Graphic Designers at Ravensbourne University

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    As we prepare to launch the third year of our ‘Im-print! Im-press’ competition in collaboration with GF Smith and Foilco, we spoke to last year’s participants to see how the experience has shaped their designs since. The competition aims to inspire a new generation of graphic designers at Ravensbourne University London to not just focus…

  • Success Is An Illusion For Graphic Design Student

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    Combining a variety of printing techniques to create a visual illusion was the key to success in this year’s “im-print! im-press!” challenge.

  • Graphic Design that Makes an Impression in Print

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    Ravensbourne College’s Maaike van Neck, course leader for the BA (Hons) Graphic Design, brought together a team of specialists in print, foils and paper to inspire and challenge her Year 2 students.  Here, Maaike explains the importance of inspiring the next generation of graphic designers to think about design in its physical, material form.