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Imagine this: you walk into a conference center in Portland, Oregon, finding yourself surrounded by creative entrepreneurs just like you. On your left, a stunning print on a t-shirt catches your eye. That can’t be screen printed, can it? You walk over to check it out. A team member hosting the booth walks over to chat with you. It’s Mark, the sales rep you’ve spoken to dozens of times on the phone. You’re finally getting to meet him in person. You chat for a while, and Mark finds a shirt in your size of that amazing design you were admiring. 

But did you imagine it at all? Nope, it was real! And it happened just a week ago, at Graphics Pro Expo (GPX) 2023. Here’s the scoop on the trade show.

Have you seen the all-new Riley Hopkins 250: Lee Stuart Screen Edition Printing Combo? It features equipment — Riley Hopkins 250 6x4 Press and Multi-Station Press Cart — you’ve come to know and love with a Lee Stuart-sized update. 

To talk about this collaboration — and print some shirts for the first 20 orders of the combo — Lee Stuart joined CEO Ryan Moor and President Brandon Schmunk live on Instagram. Let’s take a look at their conversation.

Boxes of shirts are stacked from the floor to the ceiling. You’re covered with pallet adhesive and ink. Your wrists ache with pain, your legs are numb, fingers are stiff. You pause, staring at the 716th shirt you printed that day. You stare at the stack of t-shirts behind the press, printing 1,500 to be exact. The clock reads 11:17 PM. This order is due tomorrow. You look down and sigh, staring at your cracked, callous hands. This is the 12th time you’ve had to work late to finish a high-volume order this month. You can’t take it anymore. Something has got to change.

So, you, the printer, have two options. Hire another printer or go auto. But which should you do? Let’s explore these options so you can decide which is best for your growing shop.