Maxematics — The Identity

The logotype

The letter x in max is replaced with a true multiplication sign, set in the brand violet.

Same case, same weight, same x-height as every other letter — so max is marked without spending any of the visual weight the logomark already owns. It was chosen over nine alternatives; the comparison is on the process page.

The Maxematics logotype

maematics.

It separates without shouting

Same case, same weight, same x-height as every other letter. The eye stops on max because the form changed, not because it got heavier — so the logomark keeps its role as the loud element.

It says "maths" with no tagline

A multiplication sign inside the name states the category before anyone reads a word of copy. That work used to be done by the logomark alone; now the two share it.

It survives every size and every ink

The × is a bolder, simpler shape than a lowercase x, so it holds at 16px and in a single colour. In black-and-white print the differentiation is still fully intact.

It can't be typed by accident

The logotype is a drawn asset rather than a word set in a font. That is what makes a wordmark defensible, recognisable, and worth protecting.

The two lockups

Everything below is real vector artwork — not the browser mock-up used to compare options.

The logomark was rebuilt from the original Illustrator file you already own, and the logotype is Sora 700 converted to outlines, so nothing in the package depends on a font being installed anywhere.

Horizontal — the primary mark

Digital default

Website header, email signature, social profiles, slide decks, letterhead — anywhere the space is wider than it is tall. This is the default in almost every case.

On light

On dark

Vertical — split at the ×

Approved

For everything the horizontal lockup is the wrong shape for — a T-shirt chest print, a tote, a stamp, a square social avatar, a narrow flyer column. Both lines are set to the same measure, with ma× over ematics — the device your original logo already used, so this reads as a continuation of it rather than a replacement. The most compact and the boldest of the three stacks tested.

On light

On dark

Five colourways, every lockup

Each artwork — horizontal, vertical, the logotype alone and the logomark alone — ships in all five. The single-ink versions are not a fallback; they are what a screen printer, an embroiderer or a fax-grade photocopier will actually ask you for.

Full colour

The default. Light backgrounds only.

#140E1F × #7C3AED

Reversed

For dark surfaces. The accent lifts to the soft violet so it does not go muddy.

#FFFFFF × #A78BFA

One ink — black

Contracts, faxes, newspaper ads, laser-engraving.

#140E1F

One ink — white

A dark T-shirt, a photo overlay, an embroidered polo.

#FFFFFF

One ink — violet

Single-colour screen printing in the brand colour. One screen instead of two, so it is the cheapest way to stay on-brand.

#7C3AED

Using it

The mark rendered in every configuration the practice is likely to need, so nothing has to be improvised later by whoever is making the next flyer.

Primary lockup — horizontal

Website header, email signature, letterhead. The default in almost every case.

maematics.

Vertical lockup — split at the ×

Narrow columns, flyer footers, tote bags, T-shirt chest prints, anywhere width is short and height is free.

Reversed — dark backgrounds

Site footer, dark flyers, presentation covers. The × lifts to the soft violet to hold contrast.

maematics.

Single colour

Photocopies, stamps, embroidery, faxed forms, one-colour print. The differentiation survives.

maematics.

Wordmark alone

Where the logomark would be redundant — invoice headers, document footers, watermarks.

maematics.

Clear space

Keep a margin equal to the height of one lowercase x on all four sides. Nothing crosses that boundary.

maematics.

The size ladder

The real test of a logotype is the smallest place it has to live. Below is the mark at every size it will actually be used at.

16 PX maematics. Mobile header, smallest permitted use.

20 PX

maematics. Desktop navigation — the everyday size.

32 PX

maematics. Email signature, document header.

64 PX

maematics. Flyer masthead, presentation cover, banner.

Favicon & social avatar

In a browser tab or a profile circle there is no room for a wordmark at all — but the × carries the brand on its own. Shown at true pixel size.

Avatar

Do

Use the horizontal lockup wherever there is room for it.
Use the vertical lockup where the space is square or taller than it is wide.
Keep one x-height of clear space on all four sides.
Switch the × to the soft violet on dark backgrounds.
Drop to a single ink colour when printing one-colour — the mark is built for it.
Use the × alone as the avatar and favicon.

Don't

Re-type the logotype in Sora — the × is a drawn form, not a keyboard character.
Capitalise, italicise, outline, or add a shadow to the wordmark.
Stretch or compress a lockup; scale both parts together.
Break the word across two lines yourself — use the vertical lockup as drawn.
Place the mark on a busy photograph without a solid panel behind it.
Recolour the × to anything outside the brand violet range.

The package

Send the whole folder to any printer or designer and they will have everything they need without asking a follow-up question.

Format	What it is for
SVG	The masters. Infinitely scalable, tiny, and what your website and any modern design tool should use. Open in a browser to check one.
PDF	What a print shop, sign maker or embroiderer wants. Fully outlined — no fonts to supply, nothing to substitute.
PNG	Transparent background, three sizes each, up to 3000px wide. For Word, Google Docs, Canva, PowerPoint and anywhere that will not accept a vector file.
Favicon set	16 / 32 / 48 / 64 / 180 / 192 / 512px, plus the source SVG, in violet, ink and white. Covers the browser tab, the phone home-screen icon and the social avatar.

Download the package (.zip)

What happens next

The identity itself is closed — the logotype is approved and both lockups are drawn. Two pieces of follow-through remain on our side.

Site implementation

Header and footer updated across every page, with the mark rendered as vector so it stays crisp on any screen, plus the new favicon set installed.

One-page usage sheet

Clear space, minimum sizes, colour values and the do/don't list — the single page you hand to a printer, a school, or anyone making a flyer on your behalf. Ships with the final folder.

Appendix

How we got here

The question you raised, the ten logotype treatments we built and tested against it, why the × substitution won, and the three vertical lockups the approved one was chosen from.