How to make your own license plate

[grimgard]

Here is the best way to make your license plate for your scale truck.
Why is this the best way? because it's free!


1. Go to this free web site then create your own plate
http://www.acme.com/licensemaker/lic...1969&r=6903198

2. Use a photo editing program to resize your license plate. I rezise it to 110x46 amd use another Free photo editing program called Photoscape
http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/download.php

3. Put a pice of water proof tape (bothe sides) over your freshly printed license plate and cut it out. Then use some 3m double sided tape and apply it to your bumper!

4. Send me free stuff as a thank you!

[Big Mike]

Acme License Plate Maker is pretty cool. I've used it for years now. All my drift cars have plates, and my scale truck.

I use Microsoft Paint to add the appropriate date sticker and screw heads.

My sizing method is trial-and-error, using the sizing percentage in the printer options. Usually takes me 2 or 3 tries to get the right size. Once I nail the right size, I print them on Avery LabelPro white shipping labels, cover them with heavy packing tape, and cut them out with a brand-new Xacto blade.

I stick the label on a piece of thin aluminum flashing, for an even higher level of scale realism (you can see the bright aluminum edges like you can on a real plate) Then either double-side-tape them to the bumper, or like my last build (which lacked the space to mount a plate) hung from under the frame on "chains" made of paper clip wire, redneck-style. If anything hits it, it just flips out of the way:



I've thought about selling them, but then it would turn into work. Like I need more work to do.
Besides, it's tough to get someone to pay you for something so easy to make...

[Wireman969]

Hey thanks for the links, and im deffinitly going to use the chain method for my plate.

[calikingcrawler]

Awesome!!!
I'm going to have to use this on my scale willys.

[monkeyracer]

Another way to do it:

Go to R.T.'s Blank Plates Page (Where acme plates got their images)

pick the plate you like, and save it to your computer.

Then download this free font:

License Plate Font

(Save this to your "C:\WINDOWS\Fonts" folder to install it)

Then open your favorite photo editing software and play around with the letters to get them to fit.

This font isn't the exact same font that most states use for their plates, but it is close. I adapted a license plate font and cleaned up the edges and created this font. Also, make sure to use all CAPS, small case is just the arial font. I've got all 26 letters and 10 numbers, but no symbols...yet.

I googled a picture of a real plate to get the colors and placement/size right, and in photoshop I added a bevel to the edges to appear as if they were stamped into the plate.

Here's a couple examples of what it could look like:





Keep in mind some states limit the # of characters and their placement. Using a reference pic will help with size and spacing of the letters.

To print this to the right size, either use a program that shows the dimensions when printed, like photoshop, or load the image into word, measure the width, and resize the image accordingly.

When you print it, you can either "laminate" it with clear tape on both sides and cut it out, or print onto label paper and attach to a piece of aluminum (from a soda or beer can, flattened out) or styrene and attach to your rig.

Happy plate making!

Don't forget the step #4 from the first post, but to me...

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by monkeyracer

Here's a couple examples of what it could look like:

Holy Crap, that font is PERFECT!

It actually looks like its stamped in the metal like a real plate.

Way to step it up a notch dude...

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Holy Crap, that font is PERFECT!

It actually looks like its stamped in the metal like a real plate.

Way to step it up a notch dude...

Ya, no problem, it's a free font I did a little work on. Keep in mind the bevel effect was added in photoshop. MSPaint and other "flat" editing programs won't give that effect.


Here's something I will offer though, if anyone wants, I will make a plate for you and send you a jpg to print out. Send me a PM with what you want it to say, and what state you want. If it won't fit in the space, I will let you know.

Keep in mind I will NOT do anything vulgar, nothing drug related or cuss words. It's up to you to print it to the right size, and make it work for your project. I am not a vendor, and don't plan on being any time soon, so don't ask me to send anything tangible. There's a vendor on this forum that can provide those.

[monkeyracer]

Here's another sample with a plate I found with google image search next to my font on the RT blank plate image:

Real:


Digital:


I tried to match the color and the light angle, and I think I did a good job.

You can see that the font is a little different (that's what I was talking about in the previous posts.) The spacing is a little different, and I'm working on that right now. Also the "hyphen" is not implemented in this font yet either.

If I can find enough quality images of colorado plates, I might be able to make a colorado font, that will be fairly difficult though.

When it comes down to it, at the size these will be printed, I don't think many will notice that the font is a little different.

Also I want to find the expiration tags, although they are hard to find so people can't easily duplicate them.

Cleaned up colorado on the bottom, also have locoroad on my plate:


BTW, don't mean to threadjack, I hope grimgard doesn't mind.

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by monkeyracer

Ya, no problem, it's a free font I did a little work on. Keep in mind the bevel effect was added in photoshop. MSPaint and other "flat" editing programs won't give that effect.

Oh, the bevel effect is your own work? I thought you'd found that somewhere ready to use like that. Makes it that much more impressive, but now I'm feeling like trying this myself is out of my league.

Yea, you ain't pullin that off w/ MSPaint. I use it to make the expiration stickers, but 3D looking stuff is close to impossible. My brother uses Photoshop a lot for tattoo design, and it's way more drawing program than I'm used to using.

Originally Posted by monkeyracer

When it comes down to it, at the size these will be printed, I don't think many will notice that the font is a little different.

It might not be exactly the same font, but it's way closer than anything else I've found. Printed at 1:10th scale it will look way better than my current efforts

I think I'm gonna take you up on your offer...

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Oh, the bevel effect is your own work? I thought you'd found that somewhere ready to use like that. Makes it that much more impressive, but now I'm feeling like trying this myself is out of my league.

Yea, you ain't pullin that off w/ MSPaint. I use it to make the expiration stickers, but 3D looking stuff is close to impossible. My brother uses Photoshop a lot for tattoo design, and it's way more drawing program than I'm used to using.




It might not be exactly the same font, but it's way closer than anything else I've found. Printed at 1:10th scale it will look way better than my current efforts

I think I'm gonna take you up on your offer...

Just send me a PM, and I'll send it back to you, probably later this evening.

[Big Mike]

PM sent - thanks man, you rock...

[G-crawler]

This was a great tip, just made my own and it came out awesome! thx!

[Big Mike]

Monkey!!! You're my boy!!

I can't get the detail with my camera, it looks so much better seen with your own eyes. This is the best I could do. It looks 1000% better for real:



I tried a few different settings, the shading just doesn't get picked up.

Looking at it for real, the shading around the edges of the letters really makes them stand out, like they'e actually stamped in the metal.

Excellent stuff Monkey Thanks!!

[monkeyracer]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Monkey!!! You're my boy!!

I can't get the detail with my camera, it looks so much better seen with your own eyes. This is the best I could do. It looks 1000% better for real:



I tried a few different settings, the shading just doesn't get picked up.

Looking at it for real, the shading around the edges of the letters really makes them stand out, like they'e actually stamped in the metal.

Excellent stuff Monkey Thanks!!

Looks good! Glad you like it!

You might be able to try and use your camera's macro button (looks like a little flower) that allows the camera to focus in on things really close up.

That's how I was able to get clear close-ups of stuff, like this:




I will try and get a pic of my plate since it's a little bit larger (1:7.5 scale to match the body it's on) and see if I can get the shading to show a little better. It really does make it a whole lot nicer than the acme plates.

Here's another plate I did for a guy here, but this one he wanted the frames on them:





The little extra shading goes a long way!

Anyone else, please feel free to send me a PM!

[Big Mike]

Damn!! Those are nice and sharp. I'm definitely not hitting the right setting. It's my brothers camera, I'm not fully versed in it's use. It's an SX series Canon, it should be able to do better.

Nice frames! I guess your imagination and space are about your only limitations. That looks great...

[monkeyracer]

Here's a pic of the plate I made on my rig:



I need to change the ink in my printer, and I want to print it on glossy photo paper, but this shows the bevel effect, it looks like it's actually stamped in the plate. I also want to add the expiration tags (gotta take a pic of my actual plate to get the sample image from)

I will try and get a pic in better light when I make the new plates.

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by monkeyracer

Here's a pic of the plate I made on my rig:



I need to change the ink in my printer, and I want to print it on glossy photo paper, but this shows the bevel effect, it looks like it's actually stamped in the plate. I also want to add the expiration tags (gotta take a pic of my actual plate to get the sample image from)

I will try and get a pic in better light when I make the new plates.

That image captured the effect well. The letters just pop off of the background.

It looks like an inmate just pulled it out of the press

Such a small detail, but what a huge difference it makes...

[gunch]

Noice! Can't wait to give this a try tomorrow when I'm a little more awake

[team3six]

and here is a little something more to add to the effect to make them even better. Detail masters makes metal licence plate frames in 1/12th size and 1/10th size, the 1/12 is much more realistic. then you can get a spare pievce of lexan and cut to fit to make a licence plate cover.
Here is a picture of mine on the CGR I had and yes the Acme and Black pages are awsome.
Also, You can purchase the Avery white lables from any walmart or office max for a couple of bucks and the free program on Avery allows you to remove the text and picture from the pre designed lable and add your own picture. Just make your plate and print it to size on the lable. If you only want to make 1 or 2 of the plates, you can do that and delete the other pictures or add bumper stickers or anything that you want to make a sticker of. Just take a piece of clear tape and rub it over your decals, exacto cut them out and go to town.

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by team3six

and here is a little something more to add to the effect to make them even better. Detail masters makes metal licence plate frames in 1/12th size and 1/10th size, the 1/12 is much more realistic. then you can get a spare pievce of lexan and cut to fit to make a licence plate cover.

Sweet, I was trying to cut out a frame out of thin aluminum. It's very difficult to get it all cut out w/o looking like crap. Those look nice...