James Cropper will use London Packaging Week to premiere the official trailer for ‘The Last Mill Standing’, an in-depth documentary exploring the UK’s last remaining specialist coloured paper mill
British master papermaker, James Cropper, will launch the trailer of an exclusive new documentary on its stand at this year’s London Packaging Week later this month.
Visitors to London Packaging Week will get the chance to discover the story behind the paper with the first public screening of the official trailer for ‘The Last Mill Standing’ at 1pm on September 16th, on Stand H24 at Excel London.
The documentary was created by the new commercial video arm of Print Monthly and SignLink, with commissioning editor at the magazines, Jonathan Pert, directing the project.
Offering a unique glimpse inside the UK's last remaining specialist coloured paper mill, the trailer introduces a story about the generations of skill, craftsmanship, and innovation that shape the specialist materials that James Cropper produce. The full documentary will be released later this year.
At a time when British manufacturing is navigating rising costs, global competition, and changing market demands, The Last Mill Standing asks what is at stake if specialist knowledge is allowed to disappear.
Rather than focusing solely on machinery, it celebrates the people behind the material, revealing the precision, experience, and passion required to transform fibre into paper that inspires creativity and brings ambitious ideas to life.
Following the documentary premiere, visitors are invited to join the James Cropper team for drinks and to continue the conversation around British manufacturing, material innovation, and the enduring role of paper in design, packaging, and branding.
James Cropper’s full stand offering at London Packaging Week showcases the British papermaker’s 180 years of heritage, producing distinctive coloured paper for luxury brands, designers, and printers worldwide.
Visitors to London Packaging Week will be invited to discover the story behind those materials through an immersive stand experience celebrating the craftsmanship, creativity, and expertise behind every sheet.
A feature titled ‘The Colours of London’ invites visitors to capture their own Colour of London by writing it on a specially designed postcard before posting it into the stand's iconic pillar box. The installation celebrates the memories, places, and moments that shape our experience of the capital, while reflecting the enduring role of paper in creativity, communication, and self-expression.
Alongside the film and the Colours of London installation, visitors will also be among the first to experience the Paper Portal, an interactive feature designed to spark curiosity in paper and inspire new ideas.
Jordan Scott, head of marketing at James Cropper, says: “People experience paper every day, yet very rarely do they get to see the extraordinary expertise behind it.
“We wanted to create more than an exhibition stand – we wanted to create a journey that begins with the people who make the material and ends with the ideas those materials make possible. Whether visitors are discovering The Last Mill Standing, sharing their own Colour of London, or exploring the Paper Portal, we hope they leave seeing paper in a completely different way."
