Show Plates Step-By-Step Guide For Custom Number Plate Maker

This guide has everything you wanna know about show plates.
So if you want to start or broaden business on show plates, you get to the right place.

What makes a cool show plate?

Material quality is the core of a show plate’s quality.

Raw material of show plates: aluminum + reflective film
Aluminum of highest pureness and standard retroreflective sheeting films are highly important to a good-quality show plates.
Because hard aluminum or low-quality reflective film will lead to show plates with low production life cycle period. And it also will make the reflective film aren’t able to stick to aluminum firmly for a long time under various weather change.

Various designs make show plates colorful.

Commonly show plate sizes can be classified into 3 group:
1. 520x110mm(EU size);
2. 6inchx12inch(USA size);
3. Custom worldwide show plates for vehicles: 500x120mm(India), 320x180mm(Tanzania) etc.

Based on the difference of structure, show plates can be divided into 2 types: 1-layer plate & 2-layer plate. You can check ‘How to distinguish license plate types?‘ to distinguish the different types.

Two designs of European show plates on cars can be usually found in European Union countries. First one is the complete blank car number plate, with yellow or white reflective film; the second one is the blank show plates with EU flag and country short code, like D for Germany, GB for Great Britain, F for France, IRL for Ireland.

How To Process show plates?

Getting blank show plates from license plate manufacturers and finishing them with show number plates machines is the most common method for number plate machines. All you just need do is to emboss and paint the embossed fonts on show plates.

Why is it better to buy blank show plates from number plate makers?

Because in the market of the reflective film, the price of raw material differs hugely based on reflective film brands and degrees. And license plate manufacturer usually is more able to distinguish the reflective sheeting types.
And also importantly, the aluminum of license plates are commonly custom ordered from aluminum suppliers for the pureness and property features based on certain MOQ.
Thus not all common aluminum materials can be used to make car plates.

But in the show plate market, we can find some suppliers sell show plates with low-performance aluminum and reflective film, like the aluminum is too hard or too thin, the reflective film is replaced by low-quality reflective material rather than registration plate standard reflective.

The main reason is that some manufacturers didn’t choose the RIGHT raw material or didn’t process material in the RIGHT way. And usually registration number plate makers have more experience in choosing materials and processing.

Embossing & Painting Show Plates

Finish blank show plates with machines

We have known that show plates have 2 types: 1-layer & 2-layer.
Their main difference in processing is that 1-layer plate needs painting process after embossing, and 2-layer doesn’t need.
Thus they will need different machines as well.

a. To make 1-layer show plate: Embossing press + Hot stamping machine/Roller coating machine
You will need embossing press with electric power type to emboss numbers and letters on blank show plates.
Why do we need embossing press with electric power, not manual one?
Because embossing press with electric power is able to emboss plate border and fonts at one time. It will help to balance all power on the plate, thus will make plate flat after embossing.

b. To make 2-layer show plate: Embossing press/Manual press
As 2-layer show plate doesn’t need painting machines, you will only need buy machines to emboss fonts.
And based on your output per day, you can choose electric or manual one.

Accessories of number plate machines

1. Mold
2. Jig
3. Hot stamping foil/ hot transfer film
We have the specific page of accessories of number plate machines for your reference.

Innovation On Show Plates?

If you are a number plate maker and wanna add new designs on plates, it is a great delight that you have been here!
We have finished an article 8 Personalized License Plate Ideas You Can Use Right Now and Platzr custom license plate online design tool for you, hope it will help you to get more new ideas!
And you are warmly welcome to contact us for discussing more on show plate innovation.

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