Number plate letter/number sizes?

[Bob Olive]

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.

[Adrian Payne]

Hello
Have you seen the Cornwall club page Old Style Number Plates

[Bob Olive]

Adrian
Thanks, I’ll have a look!

[John Cornforth]

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

[Howard Wright]

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: 187)

Cheers

Howard

[Mike Costigan]

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'.

[Chris KC]

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.

[Bob Olive]

Thanks everyone. You've all confirmed which way I'll be going.

[Mike Costigan]

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.

[Chris KC]

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.