Former Keyliner Finds Her Niche

Twenty-nine big ones for our esteemed office manager, Chris Brevick!

Her birthday? Ha. Only in her dreams. No, it’s the anniversary of a day that will forever live in infamy – her first job at Iconix…as a keyliner.

What’s a keyliner? Well, most of you probably don’t know, and those that do are probably pretending not to, especially if age is a delicate subject with them.

Prior to computers being used daily in the design field, pieces that were designated for print required special art boards – keylines or mechanicals, sometimes called “paste-ups” – that were given to the printer to shoot final negatives and produce printing plates from. Keylining was extremely precise, required great patience, and sometimes dangerous (virtually every former keyliner can show you at least one sizeable scar due to temporarily losing focus of an ultra-sharp Xacto blade).

Christine took to the position, and became extremely adept at it. Soon, technology became available that allowed design firms to set their own type at quality levels acceptable for most applications. As a highly skilled typist (over 100 wpm), Christine took to typesetting like a duck to water, quickly learning the nuances, and frustrations, of the early software.  Her proficiency level was high – she was the princess of the pond. But, alas…technology never stands still.

Programs evolved to the point that the lines between designer and typesetter were beginning to overlap. Keylines and typesetters were becoming things of the past. Designers could now produce initial proposals, formatted layouts and final mechanicals – all from their own workstations. The duck’s pond was beginning to dry up.

But, fear not, because the ever-persevering Christine didn’t get to the top of the pond without learning a few things along the way. Her learned skills also included:

• Payables Scrutinizer – No supplier, utility company or contractor would ever dare send an invoice charging a penny more than they should.
• Time Card Monitor – Internal time assigned to projects was required (by her) to be listed accurately, with the right project numbers, and submitted on time. Believe this.
• SSS (Screening Sneaky Solicitors) – Random solicitors pretending to be “not selling anything,” or claiming to be a “personal friend” of someone on the staff didn’t get past her wall. Ever.
• Eagle Eyes – Prior to print or electronic media production, she checked each and every project produced for inconsistencies, formatting issues, typos, etc. If something got missed, it was very rare.
• Master Sergeant/Senior Chief Petty Officer – She became the link between the troops, officers and clients – making sure the ship stayed upright and “squared away.” She’s still not afraid or shy about reminding us all when it’s time to “get back to work,” when office hours are getting a bit lax, when the expenses need to be held in check or when the kitchen is “looking like #@&# and the refrigerator smells.”

In short, because of technology, she found her true calling. And, while writing this, I can literally hear her down the hall, ripping into (firmly, yet professionally) a district manager of a well-known overnight shipping supplier because a package was delivered to an out-of-town client later than specified.

We wouldn’t trade her for anything.

Congratulations, Chris. Thanks for putting up with us.