Sometimes, when it comes to painting something to a particular size, YES, it requires some math! Who knew?! Nowhere is this more prominent than when I’m painting company logos.
Sure, in the Photoshop age that we live in ‘click’, ‘drag’ and ‘re-size’ makes this process effortless.. but not so when you need to put that image on a physical wall with paint.
I was inspired to write this post after coming across this paper I found from about a year ago. I was painting this logo for Quantico Tire & Auto ( obviously! ) on two sides of their brick building. I chuckled to myself looking at all these numbers. Looks more like homework from pre-calculus class, rather than a painting project!
It all boils down to a ‘story problem’ from 8th grade math: If the wall space is 210” inches in width with the logo centered 12” from either side, how tall must the large letters be? ….( ouch! ) …
Ok, I won’t bore you with all the details. Just know there is algebra and cross-multiplication involved!
Some might wonder, “Can’t you trace the logo on the wall using a projector? Wouldn’t that be easier?” Well, maybe, but that only works in low-light conditions and I prefer to work during the day. Furthermore, you can only move a projector back so far before you lose the image entirely, or you end up in the middle of the street!
A second possible solution: “ Can’t you just print out the logo on a large-format printer and trace it?” Also a good suggestion, but that will cost a lot and you are still limited in your size.
Sometimes, the answer is simply old school.