Paint out of a can it is not—but spray paint is way more fun, and lasts longer than the bucket kind, too. “With spray paint, you can get to hard-to-reach places and get a higher gloss finish compared ...

That's why the instructions on most spray paint cans advise holding the can anywhere from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) away from the surface. The problem is, it's difficult to measure that distance in ...