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Number plate letter/number sizes? - Bob Olive - 17-05-2023
I am sure this has been asked before but what should be the size of number plate letters and numbers for a 1932/33 Seven The 'stencil firms' seem to offer both 3" and 3.5" tall... My existing (pressed ali, later replacement) digits measure 3.25". Be grateful for guidance. Thanks.
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Adrian Payne - 17-05-2023
Hello
Have you seen the Cornwall club page Old Style Number Plates
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Bob Olive - 17-05-2023
Adrian
Thanks, I’ll have a look!
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - John Cornforth - 17-05-2023
Hi
My 27th edition of the Motor Manual dates from the late 1920's and gives the sizes in the "Motorist and the Law" section. The same sizes are quoted in a later edition from the 1950's.
Letter height 3 1/2 inches
Letter stroke width 5/8 inch
Letter width 2 1/2 inches (except for figure 1)
Space between letters 1/2 inch
Space between letters and numbers 1 1/2 inches
Space between letters/numbers and top or bottom of plate 1/2 inch minimum
Space between letters /numbers and side of plate 1 inch minimum
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Howard Wright - 17-05-2023
Hi
I believe the current font is ‘Charles Wright’ (no relation
)However if printed as ‘bold’ at 275 point (on Macbook pages word processor) it approximates to the period font. I traced and hand painted my plates using a cream paint.
IMG_0600.jpeg (Size: 141.25 KB / Downloads: 189)
Cheers
Howard
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Mike Costigan - 17-05-2023
There is no specific font that is 'correct'. The letters had to be a consistent width, but for example the nine could be very 'square' like Howard's plate or much more rounded with a simple 'tail'.
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Chris KC - 17-05-2023
Back in the 30's a font was something babies were baptised in... many registration plates were hand-painted.
I used a stencil from 'classic transfers' for mine and was very pleased with the result & their service.
As for size, a friend of mine has a plate with slightly undersize characters and it has not attracted a single comment in a good 4 decades of motoring.
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Bob Olive - 18-05-2023
Thanks everyone. You've all confirmed which way I'll be going.
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Mike Costigan - 18-05-2023
(17-05-2023, 09:05 PM)Chris KC Wrote: Back in the 30's a font was something babies were baptised in... many registration plates were hand-painted.
I used a stencil from 'classic transfers' for mine and was very pleased with the result & their service.
As for size, a friend of mine has a plate with slightly undersize characters and it has not attracted a single comment in a good 4 decades of motoring.
'Font', or sometimes 'fount', has been a printing term for style of lettering since the seventeenth century.
RE: Number plate letter/number sizes? - Chris KC - 18-05-2023
(18-05-2023, 08:20 AM)Mike Costigan Wrote:(17-05-2023, 09:05 PM)Chris KC Wrote: Back in the 30's a font was something babies were baptised in... many registration plates were hand-painted.
I used a stencil from 'classic transfers' for mine and was very pleased with the result & their service.
As for size, a friend of mine has a plate with slightly undersize characters and it has not attracted a single comment in a good 4 decades of motoring.
'Font', or sometimes 'fount', has been a printing term for style of lettering since the seventeenth century.
Undoubtedly so Mike, but I wonder how often members of the general public used the word? I think it has only drifted into common parlance since we all acquired keyboards.