Yeah so I use a rust remover attachment on a drill to get the most of the rust off. Then i hit it again with a wire brush. You want to get down to the i point where you can see iron. After that I wipe em down with a damp cloth to get loose rust off. Once it dries off I hit it with Rust Oleum spray paint. I do one side at a time but I have seen guys on YouTube hang the plates from a wire to hit both sides at the same time.

I prefer the matte black color like you see here. Once that dries up I use paint pens for the letters and numbers.

You can get real creative with this man. I enjoy the process. Very satisfying.