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What Paint Sprayer Tip Do I Use?

When it comes to painting residences or commercial buildings, 99% of the time the contractor or Do-It-Yourselfer is going to apply the majorityCommercialPaintSprayer of the paint through an airless paint sprayer. Paint sprayers come in many sizes and their functions range from spraying small fine finish areas all the way up to applying high solids and textured coatings, where large gas sprayers are needed. Although the sprayer is the key to getting the material through your house and out of your gun, this article will focus on how to choose the right paint sprayer tip for your project.

Picking Your Type of Paint Sprayer Tip

For the purpose of this article we are going to be discussing Graco Tips. Graco is a leading provider of premium pumps and spray equipment and is found in the majority of paint stores across the US. 

You will want to ask yourself the following questions to find the right TYPE of spray tip:

1. What type of applications is this? Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Fine Finish, etc.

2. What is the maximum PSI for the sprayer?

3. What type of material will I be applying?

Picking the Correct Size of Paint Spray Tip

When looking at a tip you will see the type of tip identified in letters, followed by three numbers. The numbers tell you the size of the tip.  For example, lets use a 417 tip. The first number will tell you the approximate fan width while the last two will tell you the tip hole size. To calculate the fan width you are going to take the first number and double it. Therefore in this case, this tip would give you a fan width of 8-10” when spraying 12” away from the surface. The 17 tells you the hole size is .017 of an inch. It is important to know the hole size because it directly correlates to how much paint can flow through that tip.

Things to Consider:

  • Use smaller hole sizes when applying light viscosity materials
  • A fairly common tip size is a 417
  • Worn tips use more paint and reduce production
  • Recommended tip sizes for materials
  • Actual flow rate through the tip is based on the spraying pressure of the pump 
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About the author

Chase DeRousse

Chase DeRousse

Chase DeRousse

Chase DeRousse is the Vice President of Painting at Major Painting and strives to deliver quality craftsmanship coupled with superior customer service, creating a unique and pleasant experience for all Major Painting customers, no matter the size of the project. Chase also holds an active Class A General Contracting License.

Chase has won multiple accolades recognizing his leadership and excellence in the painting industry including awards from the Painting Contractor Association (PCA), Business Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM).

Read Chase DeRousse’s Full Bio

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