MacWilliams said one the high points of his time at Leeds was the development of the BSc in Printing, Packaging and Design, the first graduates of which are due to finish this June.

"It's a big achievement for me," he said. "We are developing skills within the industry to make it more competitive in the world market."

On retiring he said he planned to take up craft bookbinding and conservation.

"It's time to focus on what I want to do, I'm going back to my roots," he said.

He has been principal of Leeds for the past nine years, prior to that he was dean of the London College of Printing and also taught at Liverpool College of Art & Design and Oxford Technology College.