PALO ALTO, Calif., October 10, 2007 - HP today announced that one of the nation's leading sign franchisors, Signs by Tomorrow, is experiencing a strong return on investment in many of its 200 locations after the installation of HP large format print technology. Deploying a variety of HP Designjet and Scitex printers, franchisees rely on the 24/7 service and reliability of HP's digital technology to run their operations.
"Today's competitive market calls for versatile devices that serve a wide variety of applications and meet the diverse printing needs of customers," said Francis McMahon, director of marketing, Graphic Arts Organization, HP Imaging and Printing Group. "In leveraging the speed, quality and flexibility of the HP large format technology, Signs By Tomorrow can offer more choices to its customers, increasing their success."
Delivering on its commitment to provide franchise operators with the latest technology and innovation available, Signs By Tomorrow selected the HP Designjet 9000s series printer last year to standardize its equipment portfolio across all new stores,offering its customers a wide range of applications at competitive prices.
"As we were evaluating print technology, we selected the HP Designjet 9000s based on its versatility, reliability and ease of use," said Joe Mauldin, director of field sales and support, Signs By Tomorrow - USA. "Our franchise operators are already reporting increased profits since the installations took place, positioning HP as the technology of choice for our organization."
Expanding Capabilities with HP Scitex 
The largest Signs By Tomorrow franchise operation, located in Bloomingdale, Ill., recently completed the installation of an HP Scitex XL1500, delivering a powerful combination of increased throughput, cost-effective production and high quality output that meets their customers' growing needs for quick turnaround print jobs.
"We decided to incorporate the HP Scitex XL1500 into our portfolio when our production levels forced us to consider additional space and equipment," said franchise owner, Gary Schelerer. "I keep up with every piece of machinery in this industry and continue selecting HP's products based on its history of innovation and reliability, as well as the excellent service I have received in the past."
With a portfolio that already boasts an HP Designjet 5000, HP Designjet 5500 and two HP Designjet 9000s series printers, theHP Scitex XL1500 extends the store's super-wide format capabilities to keep up with increasing production demands from their customers in the industrial market.
HP Designjet delivers opportunity for old and new alike
Starting off with an HP Designjet 3800 nine years ago, Signs By Tomorrow franchisee Jim Pearce of Flourtown, Pa. credits much of his success to the dependability, ease-of-use and quality of HP printers. Recently, Pearce followed the lead of corporate operations and installed an HP Designjet 9000s series printer to keep up with production demands and to meet the needs of a diverse customer base, such as producing vivid, crack-resistant images of body parts on a vinyl substrate. The body parts, which were printed with a variety of different skin tones and features, were used in a diversity project sponsored by a local high school art teacher.    
"I do not have any doubts that I invested in the right product," said Pearce. "The HP Designjet 9000s was the safe, smart way to spend my money, delivering reliability, quality and excellent support."
Printing up to 176 square feet of output per hour at 720 x 720 dpi, the HP Designjet 9000s is the fastest printer in its class[1], enabling rapid delivery of durable, high-quality signs and banners that resist fading for up to three years, even in adverse conditions. Additionally, the HP low-solvent inks and media produce vivid colors for a robust, comprehensive solution.
Martin Ackerman, one of the newest franchisees in the Signs by Tomorrow network, recently opened a store in Boise, Idaho. Using the HP Designjet 9000s to increase volume and to stand out against local competition, Ackerman is already beginning to see a strong return on investment.
"We have plenty of competitors here in the Boise area," said Ackerman. "The factors that differentiate our services from those around us are customer service, quality and quick turnaround time. Our competition cannot compete with the high quality and fast service we can provide with the new technology from HP."
With the large format capabilities afforded by the HP Designjet, Ackerman hopes to continue his success by creating exterior site and directional signs for the growing construction and retail property management companies in the area.