Specifications: Screen-Printed Spot-Color License Plates

Screen-printed license plates compared
to dye-sublimation and UV-inkjet

• Durability. Screen-printing is the traditional “gold standard” for durable printing that stands up well outdoors to the elements including exposure to the sun. Screen inks come in numerous formulations that bond tightly to many different surfaces with good wear-resistance characteristics, making silkscreening a versatile printing method suitable for many different substrates — aluminum and other metals, plastic, vinyl, fabric (T-shirts), and so forth.
• Fade-resistance. Screen-printing is considerably more fade-resistant than both dye-sublimation printing — typically used on aluminum for the “onesies/ twosies” full-color “photo license plates” market — as well as UV-cured-inkjet printing on aluminum which is another full-color printing process being used more frequently these days. The best screen-printed inks have 5 to 7-year fade-resistance ratings. Dye-sublimation claims often state 5 years when fade-resistant clear-coatings or overlaminates are used, but the reality can be much worse outdoors, sometimes a year or two or less. UV-cured-inkjet printing is rated against fading for up to 3 years. Note: Fading takes place more quickly at southern latitudes than northern due to the more direct angle of the sun, which introduces some variability. Also, some colors, particularly brighter colors like red, will fade more regardless of printing method.
• Cost. The major advantage to screen-printing besides its durability and fade-resistance is it’s the least-expensive method of printing for volume runs.
• Appearance. Aluminum license plates produced by screen-printing are high-gloss in finish and rich in color, as are dye-sub plates. On plastic plates which have a matte surface and are screen-printed, the inked portion will be semi-gloss rather than the high-gloss appearance with aluminum. UV-inkjet inks have a flat/ matte finish, which looks drab by comparison when printed on the high-gloss surface of aluminum plates, at least when viewed closer up. Also, UV-cured-inkjet plates we have sampled from a major producer — when considering whether to offer them — were printed at low resolution and looked fuzzy and grainy within a few feet. Both these characteristics caused us to reject them as a product line, though the pricing would have been attractive for full-color photographic plates.
• Tradeoffs. With screen-printing the number of ink colors is limited (typically 1, 2, or 3, occasionally 4, spot colors for license plates, though it may range up to 6 or so spots for T-shirts), which constrains what type of artwork can be reproduced. (Often no tints, gradients, photos, or Photoshop effects, though process-color screen-printing is also possible with more costly installations.) Also, the up-front setup time of screen-printing makes it economical only for volume runs. The upside of dye-sub printing is the quick setup time, which is why it shines for the onesies-twosies market, although it’s expensive for volume printing. Pluses for UV-inkjet printing are its quick setup time, as well as its flexibility: as economical for small numbers of plates as dye-sublimation (at least when ganged), and also economical for larger numbers of plates when it comes to full-color printing, though not as economical as spot-color screen-printing.

Standard items included with our
screen-printed plates at no extra charge

The following apply to both aluminum and plastic plates except as noted.

• Designed free by our experienced graphic designers in three business days. Get the best-looking plates you can by taking advantage of their expertise at no extra charge — and no extra effort. Or if you already have a design you’re happy with, we’ll print your car “as is,” too, of course.
• No artwork or setup fees, except when art is complex (1 case in 10 or less — usually $50.00 in that event). Be sure to check for such costs when comparing prices elsewhere.
• Screen-printed with 5 to 7-year no-fade ink durability, the maximum offered by outdoor ink manufacturers. Screen-printing also produces the richest, most vibrant colors compared to other methods. Note: Cheap aluminum plates found elsewhere typically use UV-inkjet or dye-sublimation printing with only 3-year or less no-fade life. There is no substitute for screen-printing or industrial resin inks when long life is of concern.
• Background colors and bleeds. Plates are printed on white tag bla nks (black also available for aluminum plates). Background colors other than white or black are printed with a flood of colored ink on white bla nks, normally with either a 3/16” or 1/4” unprinted outer white border. (Needed for tag handling purposes — the required outer margin depends on the specific product number.) Our plastic plate item #40255, however, can be printed full-bleed with any background color or with black, since it’s die-cut after printing.
• Select from 45 standard colors. Custom/ PMS color match also available at no additional charge. For more details see our standard color chart page. Important note: On black aluminum plates, most colored inks require a white undercoat to prevent show-through of the black tag surface, which adds one ink color to the cost, unless white ink is already in play to begin with. See additional info on pricing page under “extra-cost options.” Undercoating isn't a factor on plastic plates since full-bleed black backgrounds are achieved with black ink in that situation.
• Standard production time. Once your plate artwork has been approved (allow 3 business days to create or set up your plate art first), standard production time for screen-printed plates is 1–2 weeks for 12x6” plates (both aluminum and plastic) and 2–3 weeks for half-size 12x4” (which come in aluminum only). Important: Shipping time is extra, via UPS Ground.