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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Reference: Code of Countries / Districts
| NOC Name | ISO Code | NOC CODE |
| Afghanistan | AF | AFG |
| Albania | AL | ALB |
| Algeria | DZ | ALG |
| American Samoa | AS | ASA |
| Andorra | AD | AND |
| Angola | AO | ANG |
| Anguilla | AI | |
| Antarctica | AQ | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | AG | ANT |
| Argentina | AR | ARG |
| Armenia | AM | ARM |
| Aruba | AW | ARU |
| Australia | AU | AUS |
| Austria | AT | AUT |
| Azerbaijan | AZ | AZE |
| Bahamas | BS | BAH |
| Bahrain | BH | BRN |
| Bangladesh | BD | BAN |
| Barbados | BB | BAR |
| Belarus | BY | BLR |
| Belgium | BE | BEL |
| Belize | BZ | BIZ |
| Benin | BJ | BEN |
| Bermuda | BM | BER |
| Bhutan | BT | BHU |
| Bolivia | BO | BOL |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | BA | BIH |
| Botswana | BW | BOT |
| Bouvet Island | BV | |
| Brazil | BR | BRA |
| British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) | IO | |
| Virgin Islands, British | VG | IVB |
| Brunei Darussalam | BN | BRU |
| Bulgaria | BG | BUL |
| Burkina Faso | BF | BUR |
| Burundi | BI | BDI |
| Cambodia | KH | CAM |
| Cameroon | CM | CMR |
| Canada | CA | CAN |
| Cape Verde | CV | CPV |
| Cayman Islands | KY | CAY |
| Central African Republic | CF | CAF |
| Chad | TD | CHA |
| Chile | CL | CHI |
| Chinese Taipei | TPE | |
| Christmas Island | CX | |
| Cocos (keeling) Islands | CC | |
| Colombia | CO | COL |
| Comoros | KM | COM |
| Congo | CG | CGO |
| Cook Islands | CK | COK |
| Costa Rica | CR | CRC |
| Côte d’Ivoire | CI | CIV |
| Croatia | HR | CRO |
| Cuba | CU | CUB |
| Cyprus | CY | CYP |
| Czech Republic | CZ | CZE |
| Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | KP | PRK |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo |
CD | COD |
| Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste |
TL | TLS |
| Denmark | DK | DEN |
| Djibouti | DJ | DJI |
| Dominica | DM | DMA |
| Dominican Republic | DO | DOM |
| East Timor | TP | |
| Ecuador | EC | ECU |
| Egypt | EG | EGY |
| El Salvador | SV | ESA |
| Equatorial Guinea | GQ | GEQ |
| Eritrea | ER | ERI |
| Estonia | EE | EST |
| Ethiopia | ET | ETH |
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | FK | |
| Faroe Islands | FO | |
| Federated States of Micronesia | FM | FSM |
| Fiji | FJ | FIJ |
| Finland | FI | FIN |
| France | FR | FRA |
| France, Metropolitan | FX | |
| French Guiana | GF | |
| French Polynesia | PF | |
| French Southern Territories | TF | |
| Gabon | GA | GAB |
| Gambia | GM | GAM |
| Georgia | GE | GEO |
| Germany | DE | GER |
| Ghana | GH | GHA |
| Gibraltar | GI | |
| Greece | GR | GRE |
| Greenland | GL | |
| Grenada | GD | GRN |
| Guadeloupe | GP | |
| Guam | GU | GUM |
| Guatemala | GT | GUA |
| Guinea | GN | GUI |
| Guinea-Bissau | GW | GBS |
| Guyana | GY | GUY |
| Haiti | HT | HAI |
| Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands | HM | |
| Honduras | HN | HON |
| Hong Kong, China | HK | HKG |
| Hungary | HU | HUN |
| Iceland | IS | ISL |
| India | IN | IND |
| Indonesia | ID | INA |
| Iraq | IQ | IRQ |
| Ireland | IE | IRL |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | IR | IRI |
| Israel | IL | ISR |
| Italy | IT | ITA |
| Jamaica | JM | JAM |
| Japan | JP | JPN |
| Jordan | JO | JOR |
| Kazakhstan | KZ | KAZ |
| Kenya | KE | KEN |
| Kiribati | KI | KIR |
| Kuwait | KW | KUW |
| Kyrgyzstan | KG | KGZ |
| Lao People’s Democratic | LA | LAO |
| Latvia | LV | LAT |
| Lebanon | LB | LIB |
| Lesotho | LS | LES |
| Liberia | LR | LBR |
| Libya | LY | LBA |
| Liechtenstein | LI | LIE |
| Lithuania | LT | LTU |
| Luxembourg | LU | LUX |
| Macau | MO | |
| Madagascar | MG | MAD |
| Malawi | MW | MAW |
| Malaysia | MY | MAS |
| Maldives | MV | MDV |
| Mali | ML | MLI |
| Malta | MT | MLT |
| Marshall Islands | MH | MHL |
| Martinique | MQ | |
| Mauritania | MR | MTN |
| Mauritius | MU | MRI |
| Mayotte | YT | |
| Mexico | MX | MEX |
| Monaco | MC | MON |
| Mongolia | MN | MGL |
| Montenegro | ME | MNE |
| Montserrat | MS | |
| Morocco | MA | MAR |
| Mozambique | MZ | MOZ |
| Myanmar | MM | MYA |
| Namibia | NA | NAM |
| Nauru | NR | NRU |
| Nepal | NP | NEP |
| Netherlands | NL | NED |
| Netherlands Antilles | AN | |
| New Caledonia | NC | |
| New Zealand | NZ | NZL |
| Nicaragua | NI | NCA |
| Niger | NE | NIG |
| Nigeria | NG | NGR |
| Niue | NU | |
| Non-eea | XX | |
| Norfolk Island | NF | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | MP | |
| Norway | NO | NOR |
| Oman | OM | OMA |
| Pakistan | PK | PAK |
| Palau | PW | PLW |
| Palestine | PS | PLE |
| Panama | PA | PAN |
| Papua New Guinea | PG | PNG |
| Paraguay | PY | PAR |
| China | CN | CHN |
| Peru | PE | PER |
| Philippines | PH | PHI |
| Pitcairn | PN | |
| Poland | PL | POL |
| Portugal | PT | POR |
| Puerto Rico | PR | PUR |
| Qatar | QA | QAT |
| Republic of Korea | KR | KOR |
| Republic of Moldova | MD | MDA |
| Reunion | RE | |
| Romania | RO | ROU |
| Russian Federation | RU | RUS |
| Rwanda | RW | RWA |
| Saint Helena | SH | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | KN | SKN |
| Saint Lucia | LC | LCA |
| Saint Pierre And Miquelon | PM | |
| Saint Vincent And The Grenadines | VC | VIN |
| Samoa | WS | SAM |
| San Marino | SM | SMR |
| Sao Tome and Principe | ST | STP |
| Saudi Arabia | SA | KSA |
| Senegal | SN | SEN |
| Serbia | RS | SRB |
| Seychelles | SC | SEY |
| Sierra Leone | SL | SLE |
| Singapore | SG | SIN |
| Slovakia | SK | SVK |
| Slovenia | SI | SLO |
| Solomon Islands | SB | SOL |
| Somalia | SO | SOM |
| South Africa | ZA | RSA |
| South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands | GS | |
| Spain | ES | ESP |
| Sri Lanka | LK | SRI |
| Sudan | SD | SUD |
| Suriname | SR | SUR |
| Svalbard And Jan Mayen | SJ | |
| Swaziland | SZ | SWZ |
| Sweden | SE | SWE |
| Switzerland | CH | SUI |
| Syrian Arab Republic | SY | SYR |
| Taiwan, Province Of China | TW | |
| Tajikistan | TJ | TJK |
| Thailand | TH | THA |
| The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia | MK | MKD |
| Togo | TG | TOG |
| Tokelau | TK | |
| Tonga | TO | TGA |
| Trinidad and Tobago | TT | TRI |
| Tunisia | TN | TUN |
| Turkey | TR | TUR |
| Turkmenistan | TM | TKM |
| Turks And Caicos Islands | TC | |
| Tuvalu | TV | TUV |
| Uganda | UG | UGA |
| Ukraine | UA | UKR |
| United Arab Emirates | AE | UAE |
| United Kingdom / Great Britain | GB | GBR |
| United Republic of Tanzania | TZ | TAN |
| United States Minor Outlying Islands | UM | |
| United States of America | US | USA |
| Uruguay | UY | URU |
| Uzbekistan | UZ | UZB |
| Vanuatu | VU | VAN |
| Vatican City State (The Holy See) | VA | |
| Venezuela | VE | VEN |
| Vietnam | VN | VIE |
| Virgin Islands, US | VI | ISV |
| Wallis And Futuna Islands | WF | |
| Western Sahara | EH | |
| Yemen | YE | YEM |
| Yugoslavia | YU | |
| Zaire | ZR | |
| Zambia | ZM | ZAM |
| Zimbabwe | ZW | ZIM |