Customer Service Graphic Designer

NAME: Bob Kratochvil ADDRESS: *** S. Gladstone Ave., Aurora, IL 60506

CELL PHONE: 630-***-**** E-MAIL: **********@***.***

DESIGN FIRM: Swingback Studios / Bob K. Design

Cedar Rapids, IA and Aurora, IL (March '11 - Present)

• Proprietor of full service design firm, with main accounts including: Fashion Tec, Inc., (a fashion

nail company), Superwings, Panda Investments, Dirt Track Racing, and Proline Polymers.

BRAND MANAGER: Round 2

South Bend, IN (April '13 - February '14)

• Planned and implemented the direction of the Lindberg and Hawk model kit lines. Involved

with the transferal of J. Lloyd files, artwork, marketing materials, and web sites.

• Recommended future development of the line, checking mold availability and sales history.

• Developed packaging, instruction sheets, decals, photography, paper inserts, and puzzles.

Retouched illustrations, scanned and updated old packaging. Assembled mock-ups.

Released an average of 5 model kit introductions per month.

• Created line art, sales copy, and catalog images. Adjusted sell sheets, and price lists.

Proofed catalogs. Prepared materials for shows and presentations.

• Directed illustrators, model builders, and translators. Answered customer service inquiries.

Worked with printers and the factory over printing, pricing, delivery dates, and kit issues.

ART DIRECTOR: J. Lloyd International, Inc.

Cedar Rapids, IA (Jan. '06 - April '13)

• Directed/created the developmental packaging and marketing materials for toy lines

including: Big Wheels, Grand Champions (collectible horses), Crocodile Mile (water toys),

Lindberg Models, Hawk Models, Hard Body (die casts), Tootsietoy, Dubble Bubble gumball

banks, Mr. Bubbles, Empire Toys, Suzy Homemaker, Tim Mee Toys, and many more.

• Worked on developing new toy lines, including Classic Thoroughbred model horses

and Strombecker by Marchon slot cars.

• Created catalogs, style guides, instruction sheets, web sites, photography, toy

designs, illustrations, line art, sell sheets, price lists and especially packaging.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Cosmetíque

Vernon Hills, IL (Aug. '05 - Dec. '05)

• Part-time 2 day a week job producing promotional flyers, ads, inserts, and e-blast

ads for a mail order cosmetics firm developing beauty lines catering to women.

• Retouched high end fashion images. Worked on page layouts for company web site.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Pressalite

West Chicago, IL (March. '05 - Dec. '05)

• 3 day a week job designing catalogs, brochures, promotional material, and e-blast ads.

• Maintained company web site and e-commerce/retail site. Created graphics, line art,

and templates for flashlights used in sales promotion.

FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER: BOB K. Design

Aurora, IL (Sept. '04 - Dec. '05)

• Freelanced for several accounts, including Judson Guest Design, Inc., Processed Plastic Co.,

the Anderbilt Corp. and Sanford. Worked on packaging, catalogs, products, and web sites.

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Processed Plastic Company

Montgomery, IL (Feb. '84 - Sept. '04)

• Designed the packaging and labeling of toys, overseeing work from concept through

completion. Responsibilities included creating digital and marker comps for new

products and packages, producing computer graphics, layouts and illustrations,

preparing digital files and art boards, and assembling mock-ups. Illustrated both on

the computer and traditionally, and created finished art for printing in many mediums.

Designed some toys.

• Organized and created the company's primary catalog for 8 years. Created ads for

toy industry magazines. Laid out spring and summer catalog for many years.

• Created web compatible images, animations and copy. Responsible for company web site.

• Produced instruction sheets, line art and signage used in sales promotion.

• Set up and supervised photo shoots, acting as photographer at many of the sessions.

Color corrected and retouched images. Purchased and became proficient using

Canon Digital Rebel camera. Assisted in creating the company’s photo studio.

• Recommended and planned the purchase of computers, programs, upgrades, and

equipment (including removable drives, internal drives, scanners, printers, digitizing

tablets

• Skilled in using Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Quark XPress and many other

programs including Dreamweaver and a few modeling programs. Also designed gif

animations, rollovers, and QuickTime movies. Kept my design skills current through

continuing education opportunities.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Graphicomp Systems, Inc. (G.S.I.)

Glendale Hts., IL (May '82 - Feb.'84)

• Designed packaging and product promotion in a high paced environment. Typeset and

laid out copy through keyline/paste-up. Color separated. Competently operated copy

camera, cataloged jobs and billed clients.

• Created pencil and marker roughs, marker comps, and preparatory work needed to

produce Chromatec color comps.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER INTERN: Horace Mann Insurance Companies

Springfield, IL (Feb. '82 - May '82)

• Strengthened board skills, specified type, pasted up, operated stat camera, laid out or

assisted in the design of company brochures, magazines, and job incentive programs.

• Illustrated for the company quarterly and monthly magazines.

EDUCATION:

B.A. DEGREE IN ART, stressing areas of painting and advertising design.

Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL (Sept. '77 - May '81) Graduated with honors.

Paste-up artist and cartoonist at college newspaper. Set up shows at art gallery.

References available upon request.

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