Doggetts briefed its calendar to Visual Communication students from the University of Technology Sydney, who then presented the paper merchant with canine-inspired design concepts.

The aim of the nine-month project was to expose students to a live commercial brief so they could learn about press checks, client meetings and how to make presentations.

Offset Alpine printed the calendar in a four-colour process with UV inks on a mix of coated and uncoated Doggetts stocks.

Goldcraft Embossing added three embellishments – gold foil, spot UV varnish and emboss.

[Facebook: Calendar photos]

Doggetts representatives are now personally delivering the calendars to clients in the run-up to Christmas.

Student Carina Lee described her time with the project as like a "freelancing internship".

"I have had many roles, including project manager, art director, team liaison and illustrator," she said.

"It's not often a student gets the chance to do all this, be mentored within the industry by a client, work with a varied team of mutually respecting peers and produce a printed artefact that will be sent around Australia."

Doggetts' national marketing manager, Catherine Doggett, praised the students for their work.

"Every year I think we can't possibly find another great dog theme. But every year the students blow us away with original and creative ideas."

[LinkedIn: How do you show your customers you care?]

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