How to Print Plastic License Plates

Plastic license plates are a vanity product.

Plastic license plates look like their real, metal counterparts. While by law, real license plates have to be placed on the back and in some states the front of the car, plastic license plates are used as vanity plates in cars and trucks. They are often placed in the rear window and used to show off pretty background photos and meaningful sayings.

Things You'll Need

• License plate sketch
• graphics software program
• Background photo
• Ruler

Instructions

1. Sketch out a plate design on paper. Use a ruler to outline the plate dimensions. The standard size of a license plate is 6 by 12 inches. Check your state's Department of Motor Vehicles for any restrictions on the use of vanity plates in your car.

2. Select a company online that allows you to upload a design file and will print the license plate for you based on your design. Contact customer service to find out instructions and requirements for sending your license plate design file. Obtain an account or file transfer password for uploading the file to be printed. Many companies require that you register on their website first to use their file upload software.

3. Open a blank file in a graphics software program such as Microsoft Paint or Adobe Photoshop. Set the file dimensions to the width and height needed for the license plate. Pick text color, digital background photo and border design. Select a phrase for the front of the plate or text to go in the plate's border.

4. Save the file in the format required by the print company. Most printer companies for license plates will request a design file with a high enough resolution for printing, which is at least 600 dots per inch. Appropriate graphics file formats that offer high resolution options are TIFF, BMP and high-resolution portable document format (PDF).

5. Go to the company website. Log in to access the company's file transfer software. Upload your design file to the company's file server. Make any necessary adjustments requested such, as file name, size or file type. With a sufficient design file, the company will be able print the file on a blank license plate.

6. Select the thickness of plastic and number of plates to print. Fill out shipping, payment and billing information to pay the required fees for printing the license plate(s).

References

• Build a Sign.com -- License Printing Company
• DMV.org -- License Plates and Placard Information by State
• Adobe Photoshop