Now, more than ever, we can see that personalized number plates are now more popular than they have ever been. There are a plethora of different things you can include in making the design the element that will make it stand out from the crowd. But we can see that a lot of people don’t have the right idea about them. The first thing that we would like to point out is that pretty much every country has its own set of standards. The second reason is that two types of number plates can be used, 3D and 4D.
These two types of plates have their own characteristics that can influence the final look of a car. Naturally, being aware of all these characteristics can provide you with a proper way to use both of these. When it comes to choosing between these two, we would like to say that there are major differences you need to be aware of before you buy one of these. With all this information in mind, let’s talk about all the different traits of 3D and 4D car number plates and what you can expect from each of these two.
3D Plates
2D and 3D plates have one real difference, the numbers are located on the top of one of these. With 3D plates, we can see that the use of polyurethane lotion is what makes the alteration. The reason is that this gel is used to pop-up every registration number above the level of the plate. This is the way the 3D aspect that creates these types of registrations. In case you don’t use this kind of gel, you will have classic 2D ones.
As we’ve mentioned, there is only one, but crucial, factor that makes the difference between these two types. Even though many people make the mistake of thinking that only 4D is a premium option, we would like to say that this is not the case. Even though they are not considered by many to be a premium option, 3D registrations are exactly that, you can be sure of it.
4D Plates
It can be said that 3D and 4D are pretty similar when we talk about their characteristics. However, it should be said that there is one crucial difference that separates these two apart. We’ve mentioned the gel used for the creation of 3D plates. Instead of using this one for the creation of 4D plates, we can see that what creates 4Ds is by cutting the acrylic with an industrial laser. If you would like to take a look at these, you can check here.
Since we are talking about a pretty precise method used for their creation, we can see that this is a method that will not have any damage to the plates themselves. The reason for their popularity is that there are zero chances for the damage inflicted to them. So, we can see that there are no unnecessary costs. Not only that 4D look much better than 3D, but they offer many more options when it comes to the customization of the plates.
How Can You Clean Them?
Cleaning 2D and 3D registrations are pretty simple. You can use pretty much the same process for cleaning both of those. The main way for cleaning these is to use a gel and a sponge to mop them with. You can use pretty much every kind of products you already use for cleaning around your house. Therefore, you will not have to worry about buying some special products for these.
But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some products you can use to make this cleaning much more effective. Plus, they can provide your plates with some extra shine. However, it should be said that scratching plates with sharp and nails can be a pretty big problem since you can damage them. Therefore, you need to be pretty careful so you don’t inflict damage to it.
It should be said that there are small differences between cleaning 3D and 4D registrations. With 4D, you should use a detailing brush and a snow foam. Also, there is nothing wrong with using an all-purpose cleaner. When it comes to drying these, you need to use a compressed air line or a blow dryer. That way, you will be able to make the drying process much faster and more effective, which is always helpful.
Are These Legal?
We’ve mentioned the fact that pretty much every country has its own legislation and rules when it comes to the number of plates. We will take an example of the UK in this article of ours. Both 3D and 4D are completely legal to use and all the customization that can be done is legal. However, some rules need to be followed. Now, we are going to provide you with some of these:
- The number needs to be pained in black, on both of the registrations.
- Both of these types need to be reflective.
- The background of these plates needs to be white.
- The rear plates can use yellow color.
- The customization should interfere with the visibility of the registration number.
- The design shouldn’t have any design on the black characters and yellow or white background.
The Verdict
In the end, we would like to talk about the verdict about which one of these types you should use for your vehicle. In case you are interested in having a registration that offers you the possibility for customization, you should choose 4D. if you don’t think about it too much, you should opt for 3D. As you can imagine, 4D is a much heftier option.
It should be said that the choice is entirely up to you, based on your needs and preferences. So, we will not be going into that any further. However, if you ask us, we would like to say that 4D is a much more durable option and if you are looking for a long-term solution, we would like to recommend you with this type. We hope you find our article useful.