Tips for Painting with Spray Paint

The first paint tip when using spray paint: it’s always best to spray outside in a well-ventilated area if you can. COLORSHOT Spray Paints are formulated without Xylene, Benzene, Toluene, and toxic dryers - but Kelly recommends that you still spray outdoors. If you do need to spray indoors, use a mask and a spray tent.

Make sure the temperature is between 50 degrees F and 90 degrees F. Avoid painting in direct sunlight, and avoid spray painting in highly windy weather – the spray paint will blow all over the place instead of on your project!

Another paint tip that we don’t always think of is to make sure to wear paint clothes or an apron when spray painting. This will protect your clothing and skin from overspray when spraying. This is another reason to be careful when spray painting while its windy, because you can get paint on your clothing!

This paint tip is key to making sure you don’t get paint where you don’t want it. Kelly saves old pieces of cardboard for smaller projects; you can usually reuse the cardboard multiple times. She also keeps a few $1 plastic tablecloths on hand for larger projects. These are a great way to protect large surfaces and can be thrown away when finished. 

“Something awesome about COLORSHOT is their huge assortment of paint colors. There are so many options to try out!” says Kelly. All COLORSHOT paints have a paint and primer premium-quality formula for awesome coverage, and there’s also a spray paint primer when you need extra coverage. Not all projects require a primer, so double check your material before starting (search the internet to find out). “For example, I always use a primer first when spray painting raw wood. This helps assist the paint from soaking into the wood grains,” says Kelly.

This paint tips seems obvious, but it’s critical to shake the can well for at least 60 seconds to thoroughly mix the spray paint. You want to ensure you hear the mixing ball rattling around inside the can.

If you are too close to your project when spraying, you can get a dripping effect from the paint. To avoid this, keep the can at least 6-8 inches away from the project as you paint, and spray with short, even strokes. Don’t worry if the entire surface isn’t covered after the first coat; you can fix this on your next coat.

Yes, this is a good paint tip, because a lot of us can get impatient and excited to start putting our project together before it’s done drying! COLORSHOT dries to the touch in 10 minutes – without the help of toxic drying chemicals. Warmer and cooler weather affect dry times as well, so keep that in mind.

Kelly generally likes to apply at least two coats when using spray paint to help cover anything that could have been missed the first time around. Feel free to add as many layers as you like to achieve the look you are going for. Just make sure you allow for dry time between each coat.

And there you have it! Kelly’s paint tips for spray painting like a pro! What spray paint projects are you working on with COLORSHOT? Make sure to tag us on social @mycolorshot and share your projects with us!