Does anyone know anything at all about various U.S. license plates and the faces used on them (does anyone care as much as I do)? I've noticed three basic categories for plates, which I classify thusly:
1)Non-designed... these appear to have been fashioned strictly with the limitations of production-machinery in mind, it would seem that almost no thought went into psychological issues (legibility, etc.)--I'll let this class be represented by the state of Ohio (but it seems Class 1 is actually the style used by most states).
2)Semi-designed... at least SOME thought beyond mechanical constraints went into the design of these plates (the attempt to make the forms more human has resulted in these plates being significantly more legible than Class 1 at great distances)--represented by West Virginia*.
3)Fully-designed... I've seen only one state so far that fits this category--Virginia. These plates are amazing, their face is both seriffed AND modulated (and legibility at great distance is excellent).
Which brings me to my point... I contacted the Ohio BMV about the plates' type designer, and the response was that the 3M Corporation did the work. I don't believe, however, that my question was fully understood. I think 3M may have devised the production (printing) method, but not the actual typeface design.
And my question to all of you... I also contacted the Virginia BMV about their plates, but an official quickly wrote back that he didn't know who designed the face--do any of you know who designed Virginia's license plate typeface? I'm dying to know.
*In an especially ironic twist, Ohioans and West Virginians are perpetually feuding over who's the classiest and most metropolitan of the two, Ohio usually wins, I think (is it because I live in Ohio?), because we have cities like Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. West Virginia's license plates are designed better than Ohio's, they just look better too--and this is funny because Ohio would never want to be second to West Virginia in anything (I don't feel this way--not an Ohio native).
