FLORIDA BASS PLATE

"BASS SPECIALTY PLATE ART"

The art for the new Florida conservation license plate featuring a Florida largemouth bass (our state fish) and several sunfish in a native habitat was created by Mr. Scott Hiestand. He won a competition among more than 100 invited wildlife artists in spring 1996 for the privilege of designing the plate. Mr. Hiestand currently is a graphic artist with the "Orlando Sentinel," and previously worked for the "Fort Pierce Tribune." He is a graduate of the Hussian School of Art. In 1994, he won the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors' first place award for informational graphics and in 1996 won their second place award for illustration.

The original art was created using acrylics and then scanned into a computer file. It was then edited in Aldus Freehand. Use of a computer-based art package allowed Mr. Hiestand to meet repeatedly with Bob Wattendorf, a biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), to ensure the accuracy of the bass and to be certain the background would not obscure the numbers and letters. Later this graphics format allowed some last minute detail and color to be added to the bream, creating a bluegill and redear sunfish. These changes were made in response to a marketing survey of potential plate buyers.

The process of creating a realistic image, given constraints of using only four distinct colors, produced with translucent inks on a reflective gray background and very coarse (46 lines per inch) screens was a challenging one. Those limitations are the reason that many plates are designed with very simple shapes and solid dense colors. The unique process used by 3M to create the screens for these plates, which are then stamped with the identifying tag numbers/letters, and roller coated with another paint color required several iterations. With the final set of technical changes being done by GFC graphic artists.

Each of the eight trial versions was processed through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) and then sent to 3M in Minnesota for a proof to be made and routed back through the DHSMV to the GFC for approval or refinement. Once an acceptable version of the plate was received Dr. Allan Egbert, Executive Director of the FWC, Representative Jerrold Burroughs and Senator George Kirkpatrick, the bill sponsors, had to approve the final design and processing quality. Finally, the plate went to the Governor and Cabinet for their endorsement. Once 3M produced the screens, they were sent to PRIDE to be adhered to the plates, stamped, roller-coated and clear-coated. The final plates then were distributed to the tax collectors for sale to the public.

Based on an initial marketing survey, we believe the results will be well worth the extra effort and that the bass plate will be received as one of the most attractive and best selling plates available in Florida. The blue background with green fish tinged with yellow and red, and red lettering will have outstanding aesthetic appeal and complement many of the most popular car colors. The natural scene should appeal to everyone who enjoys the outdoors and nature, not just to recreational resource users.

Another aspect of the design that we believe to be important is that the major image of the bass was placed to the left with the bream and vegetation along the bottom. This leaves space for five uninterrupted numbers or letters for buyers who would like to personalize their plates, without covering the art.

Bass plates are available through your local tax collector and cost only $27 more than a standard plate. Of that amount, $25 will go to the GFC to help offset recent budget shortfalls. The money will be used to continue conservation projects for fish and wildlife, including such things as habitat enhancement, enforcing wildlife regulations, restocking programs, access enhancement and environmental education.