New General Issue License Plates (Lone Star, Smiley: 2013, live in, costs)

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by jtur88

The function of the license plate is to give each car a unique registration number that can be easily read for identification. Third grade refrigerator-art around the edges serves no useful function, and those who want it can easily plaster any colorful stickers on the back of their car.

The word Texas should be in clear, plain block letters, so the car can be identified by number plate in other states. If you don't think the word TEXAS in plain block letters says something good about the place you come from, there is no point in putting any additional pictures on it. Ask any fashion designed what colors are least likely to clash with the paint job on your $50,000 car.

Was there a moron competition in Austin, to see who would come with the most idiotic arrangement for numbers and letters, resulting in zigzagging back and forth between letters and numbers? And then they went to 7 digits, so they could have more numbers, and then reduced the number of possible combinations by almost half to leave out the vowels, which didn't matter because there were no sets of 3 letters where that could cause problems.

There are 80-million combinations using 7 digits the way they do, without the vowels. They could have 45-million using only 6 digits, arranged like AB 12 CD. So they added a whole additional digit, to less than double the scope of combinations.

That's your opinion, but not all of us feel that the only function of a license plate to identify cars. If that were the case, customized plates would not exist.

Like it or not, some of us liked the uniqueness of the outgoing Texas plates. The new ones are nice though, in a different type of way.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by majicdonjuan

That's your opinion, but not all of us feel that the only function of a license plate to identify cars. If that were the case, customized plates would not exist.

Like it or not, some of us liked the uniqueness of the outgoing Texas plates. The new ones are nice though, in a different type of way.

You are free to put any "outgoing" stickers on your car you like. But don't force your opinion on other people with different taste. And the reason for the customized plates is to rake in cash (your cash, not mine), otherwise they would not exist. In fact, issuing plain boring plates will bring in millions of dollars in customized plates revenues, that I won't have to pay myself, thank you.

If you like "unique" plates, now you have them. No other state has plain numbers on white base, plain unstylized easy-to-read name of state, no slogan, no pictures. Unique. Stop complaining.

[Cathy4017]

I don't like the new plates at all, so I went to look at some of the customized ones--you're right. They are just for raking in cash!! Not only do you have to pay a much steeper initial price--you have an annual fee on top of that for most of them.

Geeeeze. So much for being able to get the current plates if I move back....

[ReppingDFW]

I like the simplistic design. The outgoing plates were just too tacky for my liking.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by ktulu7

Hey, what do y'all think of the new general issue license plates? They're certainly boring, but they'll be a lot easier to read. I have a specialty plate, so it doesn't matter to me, but I'm just randomly curious what folks think about the new ones...

The article that led me to them is here:
New classic Texas license plates hitting the streets, others under review - San Antonio Express-News

Here's the info page at the TxDMV website about it:
License Plate information

I just saw one of these today and must say that I was VERY disappointed!! Why can't Texas ever come up with something besides just plain black and white? At least they could have white lettering on black background? In the early '70s, they at least used to alternate with blue, green,red and black lettering on white background. I also like the raised lettering that they had before. These new license plates look CHEAP.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by wehotex

At least they could have white lettering on black background? In the early '70s, they at least used to alternate with blue, green,red and black lettering on white background. I also like the raised lettering that they had before. These new license plates look CHEAP.

Every state has gone to white/light background, because of the high reflectivity and safety issues. Before they used reflectorized paints, it didn't matter. Raised ("debossed") lettering is much more expensive to produce than the flat screened process.

Except one brief cycle in the early 70s, Texas never used any other color besides black or dark blue on white, since maybe the 50s when there were some black/yellow years. The whole idea of 7-digit plates is so they never have to replace them just because they ran out of numbers. They don't want to issue new plates in alternating years.

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by jtur88

You are free to put any "outgoing" stickers on your car you like. But don't force your opinion on other people with different taste. And the reason for the customized plates is to rake in cash (your cash, not mine), otherwise they would not exist. In fact, issuing plain boring plates will bring in millions of dollars in customized plates revenues, that I won't have to pay myself, thank you.

If you like "unique" plates, now you have them. No other state has plain numbers on white base, plain unstylized easy-to-read name of state, no slogan, no pictures. Unique. Stop complaining.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was complaining as I specifically said I liked the new plates (I just like the current ones better).

I have no idea what an "outgoing sticker" is.

So who is forcing what opinion on whom? I already have the 2009 plates on my car in Texas. I have nothing to complain about. And clearly if your opinion was in the majority more states than just Texas, California, Virginia, and Louisiana would have plain, white plates.

This is simply a discussion of opinions. Please treat it as such.

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Every state has gone to white/light background, because of the high reflectivity and safety issues. Before they used reflectorized paints, it didn't matter. Raised ("debossed") lettering is much more expensive to produce than the flat screened process.

Except one brief cycle in the early 70s, Texas never used any other color besides black or dark blue on white, since maybe the 50s when there were some black/yellow years. The whole idea of 7-digit plates is so they never have to replace them just because they ran out of numbers. They don't want to issue new plates in alternating years.

Every state??? Not even remotely true.

Here are all of the (more or less current) plate designs in the U.S.

http://www.15q.net/curr.html

Almost all of them have some other colored background. I think the whole "we need these plates for visibility purposes" argument is pretty weak, though I imagine some folks who are really visually impaired (and thus shouldn't be driving anyway) might have trouble with them. But seriously, what licensed driver really has an issue seeing license plate numbers?

I suspect that this is probably to make it easier for these plates to be electronically read.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by majicdonjuan

Every state??? Not even remotely true.

Here are all of the (more or less current) plate designs in the U.S.

Current/Recent U.S. Issues

Almost all of them have some other colored background. I think the whole "we need these plates for visibility purposes" argument is pretty weak, though I imagine some folks who are really visually impaired (and thus shouldn't be driving anyway) might have trouble with them. But seriously, what licensed driver really has an issue seeing license plate numbers?

I suspect that this is probably to make it easier for these plates to be electronically read.

More than likely.....

New Mexico has had the yellow background with red lettering for several years, but they also had a balloon plate, which I have from 2007. They issued a bright turquoise centennial plate this year. I had no interest in paying the state extra to change over when I got a new car this year, so I kept my balloon plates.

Wyoming, Washington and Idaho plates (along with the last Texas issue, not the current BLAH!) are all gorgeous!

I'm sick that I can't get the plates with the Franklins on them.....

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

More than likely.....

New Mexico has had the yellow background with red lettering for several years, but they also had a balloon plate, which I have from 2007. They issued a bright turquoise centennial plate this year. I had no interest in paying the state extra to change over when I got a new car this year, so I kept my balloon plates.

Wyoming, Washington and Idaho plates (along with the last Texas issue, not the current BLAH!) are all gorgeous!

I'm sick that I can't get the plates with the Franklins on them.....

Some states have some really striking designs. I like Arizona, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Alabama the most, as well as the current Texas design and the current California design (plain, yet the lettering is unique, gives it a "California look").

Honestly, the diversity of the plates is one of the many things (some positive, some not) that make driving interesting in a lot of places in the country. Though I'm sure some people would be perfectly content if all of the states had the same basic plate design. Sounds like the epitome of boring to me.