If you’re hunting for a private number plate for your vehicle, you might have looked at other cars and the plates they’re displaying to help make your selection. Although most of the vehicles on the road utilise the standard flat-plate style, you may have come across some different kinds of registrations on your travels. While 3D number plates have recently become a popular option for those looking for a little extra style, 4D number plates have now entered the market. This new plate style offers an innovative addition to the range of registration designs currently available.
These 4D plates are manufactured from 3mm acrylic characters presented in the required black Charles Wright font, firmly stuck to premium quality acrylic plates with powerful adhesive. As the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has stated that number plates can be 3D, providing they keep to the laws regulating them, is the same is true of 4D plates?
What are 4D number plates?
4D plates are simply the ‘bigger brother’ of 3D gel plates. They are typically manufactured using professionally laser cut acrylic letters as opposed to the raised gel letters found on 3D plates. While the characters are presented in the compulsory black typeface, they’re often backed by another colour beneath for a stylish ‘3D Plus’ effect not commonly seen on the road. This can be perfect if you’re looking to show off your new private plate and catch the attention of other motorists.
Innovative 4D plates can be found with a variety of different finishes for added customisation. These finishes can add an extra gloss or frosting, creating number plates with a more luxurious appearance.
Are 4D number plates legal?
The DVLA has deemed 3D number plate designs as road legal if they conform to the government regulations. These rules are designed to ensure the plates are easy to read by authorities and other motorists during both day and night. This being the case, the same rules also apply to the legality of 4D plates.
Providing they conform to the rules regulating UK number plates, 4D plates are entirely legal to use on your car. For example, the acrylic characters must be presented in black on a white plate at the front of your vehicle and black on a yellow plate at the rear, both manufactured from reflective material. The characters must also follow the rules that dictate the measurements of letters and numbers, as well as the margins surrounding them.
The 4D characters on your plate must also be in the Charles Wright font to be up to standard. To ensure this, 4D laser-cut number plates are created using professional equipment that provides an exacting standard of laser cutting, precisely matching the Charles Wright Font used as standard on UK number plates.
The material of the plate the 4D characters are attached to must also meet the same high level of British Standard (BS AU 145d) in order to be legal.