California License Plate (script, 1993–)

Source: http://www.plateshack.com.Photo by Marc Welby. License: All Rights Reserved.

With the exception of road signs and Starbucks logos, most Californians see this bit of lettering more than just about any other: the script on the current California license plate.

This general plate design was introduced in 1993 and (with some minor variations) is still in use today. I don't yet know who is responsible for the script, but the designer clearly began with Ron Zwingelberg'sRage Italic, a 1984 Letraset font — in the casual handwriting tradition of Mistral — that epitomizes the carefree, convertible drivin', sun-in-the-hair, California dreamin' aesthetic of the '80s to early '90s.

See more examples of the plate and its varations at David Nicholson's extensive license plate index, Marc Welby's Plateshack, and The Press Democrat's Road Warrior column who reminds us that "California's license plates are made by the thousands each year at Folsom State Prison."

License: All Rights Reserved.

"California" set in the Rage Italic font, without modification. Rage was tamed for the California mark. The typeface's rough contours were smoothed and letter connections improved ('al', 'li'). The designer also ended the word with a new 'i' and swash 'a', perhaps stemming from the font's alternate 'a', shown here.

Source: https://www.flickr.com.Photo by Mark Mauno. License: All Rights Reserved.

A panel at the Peterson Automotive Museum: "The scripted red 'California' was introduced in 1993 and went through three different type sizes, starting with this comparatively small script and settling, in about 1997, to the large script which is seen on plates today."