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Matthew Short

@chicagoshorts

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Last night we had to say goodbye to our sweet Beag, Rick. He came to us as a foster fail from TN in August 2020 and my life is forever better because he was part of it. I dont know what the first part of his life was, but I know he spent every minute since he arrived here completely and utterly loved. He hiked on the North Country Trail, splashed in Lake Superior, explored waterfalls, climbed rocky rails in Ohio, saw lake of the clouds in the porcupine mountains, and was kept perfectly warm on couches and infront of campfires and the laps of his family and two boys who loved him beyond measure. And he was pure love to us back. I am so lucky to have loved him, even if it feels pretty broken with him gone.

They are the greatest joy and the biggest heartbreak. I miss him 😞

#dogloss #beagle #bestdogever #petloss #iloveyou

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A new M&R Hornet being installed. Call today for more information!

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Equipment Spotlight of the Week

Astra X2 Dual Heat Press

Built for speed. Designed for production. Ready to scale your shop.

The Astra X2 is a dual-platen heat press engineered for high-volume DTF workflows—meaning you can press one garment while prepping the next, keeping your production moving with minimal downtime.

💥 Why it stands out:
✔️ Dual independent platens = continuous workflow
✔️ Consistent pneumatic pressure for clean, repeatable results
✔️ Digital time & temperature controls for precision
✔️ Built for commercial, high-volume production
✔️ Made in the USA 🇺🇸

If your shop is growing and you’re tired of bottlenecks, this machine is built to increase output without sacrificing quality.

⚡ Work faster. Press smarter. Scale easier.

Call today or email for more info!

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🥊 WHITE INK BATTLE:

Cotton White vs Low Bleed White

Not all white inks are built for the same job and most experienced screen printers know it’s best to keep both types of white on the shelf.

Cotton White is designed for 100% cotton garments.
It prints smoother, requires less pressure, and gives you a bright, soft print on natural fibers.

Low Bleed White is built for polyester and blends.
It contains dye-blocking chemistry that prevents dye migration, which can turn white prints pink on polyester apparel.

But here’s something many shops run into 👇
When low bleed whites are used on cotton garments, they can sometimes cause a faint ghost image on the back of shirts if the garments are stacked or boxed while still hot coming out of the dryer.

The dye-blocking chemistry can transfer slightly to the garment touching it, leaving a shadow of the print on the back of the next shirt in the stack.
That’s why most production shops follow a simple rule:
✔ Cotton White → Cotton garments
✔ Low Bleed White → Polyester & blends
Using the right white for the right garment means better prints, faster production, and fewer surprises when the shirts come out of the box.

Call T&J Printing Supply to get the best whites for the job!

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🔥 Equipment Highlight of the Week

This week we’re featuring the M&R YELLOWJACKET™ Automatic Screen Printing Press.

Part of M&R’s Stinger™ Series, the Yellowjacket is designed to deliver serious production capability while remaining a cost-effective automatic press option for growing and established print shops.

Built with precision engineering and operator-friendly controls, the Yellowjacket combines durability, productivity, and reliable print performance.

Key features include:

⚡ Production speeds up to 85 dozen prints per hour
⚡ Integrated 10" touchscreen control system
⚡ Tool-free squeegee and floodbar adjustments
⚡ Rear micro-registration for precise alignment
⚡ Hybrid-printing compatibility and double-index capability

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EMULSION SPOTLIGHT

This week we’re highlighting two popular Murakami emulsions used by screen printers around the industry.

Aquasol HV Blue and Aquasol HVP Pink are high-viscosity photopolymer emulsions designed for strong stencil durability and consistent exposure in production environments.

Murakami Aquasol HV has a higher vicsosity for thicker stencils. Fast exposures, and highly durable stencils provides non stop production on press. Use as is for sharp plastisol prints, or it can be made more water resistant with the addition of diazo or application of Murakami Hardeners.

Murakami Aquasol HVP like Aquasol HV is a high viscosity emulsion to create extremely durable stencils for all ink systems. It has a more transparent quality that can help when registering by hand on press. Exposes fast and provides one of the most durable stencils possible for difficult inks like water base and discharge when combined with diazo additive and hardened with Murakami Hardeners.

Learn more:

Aquasol HV Blue
https://tandjprintingsupply.com/semuhv01.html

Aquasol HVP Pink
https://tandjprintingsupply.com/semuhvp01.html

Available from T&J Printing Supply. Call 877-836-1337 Email info@tandjps.com

#screenprinting #screenprintingsupplies #murakami #printshop

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Trying a new series:
Equipment Highlight Of The Week

We’re kicking off a new weekly series where we highlight some of the best equipment in the garment decoration industry — and we wanted to start it off with a BANG.

This week’s highlight: The M&R QUATRO™ Direct-to-Film (DTF) Transfer Printing System.

The QUATRO is built for print shops that want vibrant color, sharp detail, and serious production capability. This system produces high-quality transfers that can be applied to a wide variety of fabrics including cotton, polyester, blends, nylon, and more.

From detailed graphics to production-level output, the QUATRO system delivers reliable performance and the engineering quality M&R is known for.

Check out the photos and video below to see the QUATRO in action 👇

If you're interested in learning more about this system or adding DTF capability to your shop, feel free to reach out.

https://youtu.be/IGE3r4IRK9Q?si=-uq2Wgi9IfbJpEG-

#EquipmentHighlight #DTFPrinting #MRPrinting #GarmentPrinting #PrintShop #tandjprintingsupply

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Captain Cool is engineered to deliver maximum airflow directly over a freshly flashed print, rapidly removing heat from the ink film and pallet so printing can continue immediately—without a dedicated cool-down station.

In traditional automatic printing, a flash cure always requires an open station to allow the image and pallet to cool before additional ink can be applied. Captain Cool eliminates that requirement by aggressively cooling the print the moment it exits the flash, keeping ink stable and pallets at a printable temperature.

The system is mobile, wheeled, and height-adjustable, allowing it to work with every automatic screen printing machine worldwide, as well as all manual presses. Its design is optimized for standard pallets up to 18 inches wide, delivering focused airflow across both the print surface and the underside of the pallet—where heat buildup causes the most problems.

Why Captain Cool Matters
Maximum Post-Flash Airflow: Delivers high-volume airflow directly over the freshly flashed print to rapidly reduce ink and pallet temperature.

Eliminates the Cool-Down Station: Removes the need for a dedicated cool-down station normally required after flash curing.

Dual-Side Cooling: Cools both the pallet surface and underside for faster, more uniform temperature reduction.

Universal Compatibility: Height-adjustable and wheeled to work with all automatic and manual screen printing machines.

Optimized Pallet Coverage: Engineered for maximum efficiency on standard pallets up to 18 inches wide.

Improved Print Consistency & Operator Comfort: Stabilizes ink behavior, reduces heat transfer to garments, and makes pull-offs safer and easier

With Captain Cool, the flash no longer costs you a station.

Keep your press fully utilized, your prints consistent, and your workflow moving—with Captain Cool from Action Engineering.

Reach out to T&J for more information!

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Met a Sapphire beach celebrity

She was huge! I felt honored to share this moment her. Her tail was so long it disoriented me at first but then she came around and circled before heading on her way.

#snorkeling #eagleray #marinewildlife #oceanwildlife #usvi

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Caribbean Reef Octopus 🐙

After spending some time tucked under a rock he decided to pop out to say goodbye and casually stroll through the reef.

#octopus #snorkeling #usvi #wildlife #oceanwildlife

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We’re clearing out overstock on Silky Cotton White (EH9020) — a premium white ink designed specifically for cotton garments.

✔️ Smooth, creamy consistency
✔️ High opacity on light, medium & dark cotton
✔️ Fast flashing for increased production speed
✔️ Reliable cure at 320°F
✔️ Excellent matting with a clean satin finish
✔️ Prints great on manual & automatic presses

💥 Overstock pricing: $89 per gallon
(Regularly $134)

Available while supplies last. Call or email us to order. At 847-659-1368 or Info@tandjps.com

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Now is the time to upgrade your shop with M&R’s best deals of the year, available through T&J Printing Supply.

These limited-time offers include discounts on presses, dryers, digital systems, and more — with added amenities like free crates, installation, and flash units.

Customer Discount Summary

COBRA Presses – 15% Off
Free Flash Unit and 5-Year Warranty

Other Presses – 10% Off
Free Flash Unit

Dryers – 12.5% Off
50% Off Crate

Eco-Tex / Eco-Tex Lite – 5% Off
Free Crate

Qwik Klean – 7.5% Off
Free Crate and ROQ Adaptors

Digital Squeegee DS4000
Free Crate, Free Installation, and Hybrid Pallets

QUATRO DTF Systems
4-4: $37,950 | 6-8: $48,950

Free Crate and $2,000 in Consumables

Every press purchase includes a free flash unit, Cobra or not.

Act now—offers end November 30, 2025.

Contact T&J Printing Supply today to request a quote or learn more about which M&R solutions are best for your shop.

T&J Printing Supply

info@tandjps.com

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