I'm Kristin Tope, a senior designer with over 25 years of experience delivering innovative branding, packaging, and product design across print, digital, and retail channels. I thrive on turning complex ideas into clear, engaging visuals that strengthen brand identity and resonate with target audiences. My work spans consumer packaged goods, private label lines, and cross-media campaigns, blending typography, color theory, and storytelling to drive growth. As a hands-on leader, I’ve improved design team productivity by 75% and reduced outsource costs by 62% by implementing standardized SOPs, structured workflows, and strong vendor collaboration, while consistently delivering high-quality work on tight deadlines.…

Kristin Tope

I'm Kristin Tope, a senior designer with over 25 years of experience delivering innovative branding, packaging, and product design across print, digital, and retail channels. I thrive on turning complex ideas into clear, engaging visuals that strengthen brand identity and resonate with target audiences. My work spans consumer packaged goods, private label lines, and cross-media campaigns, blending typography, color theory, and storytelling to drive growth. As a hands-on leader, I’ve improved design team productivity by 75% and reduced outsource costs by 62% by implementing standardized SOPs, structured workflows, and strong vendor collaboration, while consistently delivering high-quality work on tight deadlines.…

Available to hire

I’m Kristin Tope, a senior designer with over 25 years of experience delivering innovative branding, packaging, and product design across print, digital, and retail channels. I thrive on turning complex ideas into clear, engaging visuals that strengthen brand identity and resonate with target audiences. My work spans consumer packaged goods, private label lines, and cross-media campaigns, blending typography, color theory, and storytelling to drive growth. As a hands-on leader, I’ve improved design team productivity by 75% and reduced outsource costs by 62% by implementing standardized SOPs, structured workflows, and strong vendor collaboration, while consistently delivering high-quality work on tight deadlines.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Senior Graphic Artist at Crown Point Graphics
January 31, 2018 - May 8, 2025
• Led the end-to-end design and production of consumer packaged goods (CPG), including greeting cards, bookmarks, puzzles, stationery, and box trays/lids, using both licensed artwork and original illustrations. Incorporated premium finishes such as foil stamping, embossing, spot UV, glitter, and other embellishments to enhance shelf appeal and brand identity. • Applied expert-level skills in typography, color theory, layout design, copywriting, and visual storytelling to deliver visually compelling and commercially successful products across multiple retail categories. • Designed marketing collateral including print and digital catalogs, sell sheets, POS/POP displays, and promotional content for Amazon, Shopify, and Walmart online retail platforms, driving increased product visibility and consumer engagement. • Developed, maintained, and optimized production templates, dielines, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and digital asset organization systems. Managed version control, file archiving, and artwork QA/QC processes. • Directed remote technical proofing and vendor communication, ensuring color fidelity, print accuracy, and compliance with packaging specifications through detailed spec analysis and updates using custom FileMaker Pro SARS software. • Amplified Design Team Productivity by 75%, through speed, organization, creative and technical accuracy.
Graphics & Web Media Specialist at Labrador Education and Rescue Network
November 2, 2014 - January 30, 2018
• Designed and produced visual assets including promotional graphics, branded merchandise, and marketing collateral using Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat), supporting consistent brand identity.• Streamlined digital application process for adoption programs by designing user-friendly online forms, resulting in a 39% increase in submission rates and a 22% rise in approvals. • Implemented data-driven content strategies leveraging analytics tools, leading to a 35% boost in reach and improved campaign performance.
Freelance Graphic Designer at krt Artistry
June 1, 2008 - January 30, 2018
• Designed high-impact consumer-facing products including greeting cards, textiles, box packaging, and stationery using custom artwork and brand-guided visual assets. Projects included both seasonal and everday collections with attention to print production standards and manufacturing feasibility. • Produced a wide range of marketing and business collateral including visual brand identities, packaging systems, book and cover designs, catalogs, brochures, and landing page graphics optimized for digital platforms, increasing client visibility and brand cohesion across print and web. • Developed and maintained production-ready templates, dielines, and artwork for physical and digital formats, ensuring pixel- perfect precision and print-ready file preparation in alignment with vendor specs and client requirements. • Recognized as a top-performing senior freelance designer, earning an extended contract role with Crown Point Graphics due to a consistent record of 50% faster turnaround times, high-volume output, and concept-to- completion ownership of creative projects.
Prepress Mananger & Graphic Designer at Universal Presentation Concepts
December 12, 2015 - November 21, 2016
• Executed detailed art profiling, rendering, and file preparation for high-resolution digital large-format printing, ensuring production-ready assets met stringent prepress standards for accuracy, color consistency, and output fidelity. • Performed advanced color correction and applied color theory principles to maintain brand consistency across varied substrates and print technologies. Responsible for art signoffs, version control, and ensuring all assets met technical specifications for final output. • Served as lead operator and technician for the Truepress Jet W3200UV flatbed printer—handling daily operations, preventative maintenance, repairs, and troubleshooting to minimize downtime and maintain optimal print quality. • Supervised pressroom staff, managed print schedules, tracked inventory and supplies, and introduced efficiency- focused process improvements to enhance throughput and reduce waste. • Reduced setup time and ripping errors by 50% by developing and implementing a streamlined press configuration and RIP workflow. This directly increased production capacity and minimized production delays.
Graphic Designer at Pat Richter® Gallery, Inc.
January 2, 1997 - April 9, 2008
• Led end-to-end color separation processes and conducted detailed press checks, ensuring print accuracy and brand consistency across all production outputs. Spearheaded vendor communications and relations. • Operated and maintained Roland SP-540v wide-format printer, managing troubleshooting, calibration, and production workflows to deliver high-quality output on tight deadlines. • Designed and produced diverse marketing and branding materials, including templates, catalogs, sell sheets, CPG packaging, apparel graphics, stationery, and textiles, using Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator plus Quark Xpress. • Executed professional product and promotional photography to support digital and print marketing assets. • Streamlined in-house design workflows, reducing outsourcing needs and saving the company over 60% in time and production costs.
Senior Graphic Packaging & Product Designer at Crown Point Graphics
February 1, 2018 - May 1, 2025
Led the end-to-end design and production for hundreds of SKUs in consumer packaged goods, combining licensed artwork and original illustrations with premium finishes (foil, embossing, spot UV, glitter) to strengthen brand identity and shelf appeal. Managed a four-person design team and remote proofing (three technicians), ensuring color fidelity, print accuracy, and packaging specification compliance. Created packaging concepts that elevated shelf presence and brand identity. Developed, maintained, and optimized production templates, dielines, SOPs, and digital asset systems; supervised vendor relationships and version control using FileMaker Pro SARS software to streamline workflows, increasing throughput by 41%. Drove targeted marketing assets for catalogs, POS/POP displays, and online platforms (Amazon, Shopify, Walmart), boosting product visibility and consumer engagement by 38%.
Graphics & Web Media Specialist at Labrador Education and Rescue Network (L.E.A.R.N.)
November 1, 2014 - January 1, 2018
Art direction and production of promotional graphics, apparel, branded merchandise, and marketing collateral, supporting consistent brand identity. Streamlined digital application process for adoption programs by designing user-friendly online forms, resulting in a 39% increase in submissions and a 22% rise in approvals. Implemented data-driven content strategies leveraging analytics to improve campaign performance.
Freelance Graphic Designer & Artist at krt ARTISTRY
June 1, 2008 - January 1, 2018
Top-performing freelance designer delivering high-volume, concept-to-completion projects for consumer packaging, durable textiles, box packaging, apparel, and various stationery using custom artwork and brand-guided visuals. Built brand identities, packaging systems, book and cover designs, catalogs, brochures, and landing page graphics optimized for digital platforms, increasing client visibility and brand cohesion across print and web for Pinnacle, ConAgra, Garden Botanika, and more. Earned an extended contract due to 50% faster turnaround times and ownership of creative from concept to production, culminating in a contract-to-hire with Crown Point Graphics.
Graphic/Packaging Designer & Prepress Manager at Universal Presentation Concepts
December 1, 2015 - November 1, 2016
Reduced setup time and ripping errors by 50% by developing and implementing a streamlined press configuration and RIP workflow, directly increasing production capacity. Directed a three-person pressroom, managed print schedules, tracked inventory, and introduced efficiency-focused process improvements to boost throughput by 22% and reduce waste by 14%. Executed detailed art profiling, rendering, and file preparation for high-resolution digital large-format printing, ensuring assets met prepress standards for accuracy, color consistency, and output fidelity. Conducted advanced color correction to maintain brand consistency across substrates and print technologies; spearheaded art signoffs and version control to reduce project turnaround by 24%. Operated a Truepress Jet W3200UV printer to minimize downtime and maintain print quality.
Graphic Designer & Artist at Pat Richter® Gallery, Inc.
January 1, 1997 - April 1, 2008
Streamlined in-house design workflows, reducing outsourcing needs and saving the company over 62% in time and production costs. Spearheaded vendor communications, color separation processes, and detailed press checks to ensure print accuracy and brand consistency across all outputs. Operated and maintained a Roland SP-540v wide-format printer, managing troubleshooting, calibration, and production workflows to deliver high-quality output on tight deadlines. Conceived and produced a range of marketing materials, including catalogs, CPG packaging, apparel graphics, stationery, and textiles, supported by professional product and promotional photography.

Education

Associate of Science - Graphic Design at Art Institute - Pittsburgh
January 1, 2008 - January 1, 2010
Bachelor’s of Science - Graphic Design at Art Institute - Pittsburgh
January 1, 2010 - January 1, 2012
Associate of Science in Graphic Design at Art Institute
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2012
Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design at Art Institute
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2012

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Consumer Goods, Retail, Media & Entertainment, Non-Profit Organization, Manufacturing, Professional Services
    paper Crown Point Graphics - Packaging

    Driftwood line of 4 designs, 16 cards total with blank envelopes. My job was to render the template, using Illustrator, and then create the art, using Photoshop, based off of the cards created from the original artist. The interiors of the cards were rendered by myself as well based upon the original art provided.