When small or intricate objects need to be painted, there’s nothing that works better than a can of spray paint. Spray allows you to apply an even coat of paint to an object, without leaving tell-tale brush strokes. Available in a wide range of colors, spray paints make it easy to match decorative items to home decor, repair scratches and nicks in car finishes and provide quick and easy protection from the weather for items intended to be left outdoors.
With spray paint, cleanup is minimal. There are no brushes or rollers to clean and no spray gun to take apart. The only actual cleaning needed is to turn the can upside-down for a moment and spray, allowing the propellant to clear out the nozzle, so that it doesn't clog. If that little step is forgotten, the can may not work the next time.
One does need to watch out for overspray when using spray paint, just as they would with a large spray gun. The process of atomizing the paint tends to cause droplets to float around in the air, landing in places you may not want. For that reason, one needs to be careful about where they are spray painting, selecting a location where the overspray can’t damage anything. For small objects, a makeshift “spray booth” can be made out of a cardboard box.
Due to the small nozzle size, spray paint is thinned considerably, making each coat extremely thin. If a thicker finish is needed, it is recommended to apply several coats. Most spray paints can be recoated within 30 minutes, making it easy to apply several coats. There are also a few high solids spray paints on the market, which build a thicker film per coat.
For the best possible finish, spray in a back and forth pattern which starts and ends past the ends of the object. This will help prevent runs caused by excessive paint buildup at the ends of the object. You should also try and always keep the surface “wetted” so that the new paint is being laid down overlapping existing wet paint. This will help to eliminate the striped effect that is typical of poorly applied spray paint.
Spray paint can also be buffed once dry, to help eliminate any sheen striping. Only buff it if several coats of paint have been applied, as buffing does remove some paint from the surface. Hand buffing is better, as you are less likely to buff though the paint film.
One nice thing that is being done with some of the newer spray paints is multi-colored and textured paints. Both Krylon and Rust-Oleum, the two largest producers of spray paints, offer several different types of multi-colored and textured spray paints. These are excellent for use on surfaces that are not perfectly smooth or that have imperfections, as they hide those imperfections quite well. Paints of this type are not high gloss, which also helps to hide imperfections.
When selecting spray paints, look at the price. Low cost spray paints are just that; low cost. They typically have lower solids, so will provide less coverage. This can be dealt with by applying more coats. A higher cost spray paint will generally be higher solids, providing a thicker film and better coverage. A few spray paints will actually cover in one coat. Check out our top picks for best spray paints in 2022.