Paint Sprayer Types + Tip Sizes Reference
Why this matters
Wrong sprayer + wrong tip = paint job ruined. Tip too small for thick coating clogs; too large overcoats + drips. Airless sprays cabinet doors badly; HVLP can't push a house exterior. Match the sprayer + tip to the material + the project + you save hours of rework. This is the field card.
Sprayer types
Airless: high-pressure pump pushes paint through a small tip; no air mixed. Common Graco/Titan/Wagner models. Fast, high output, great for walls, fences, exteriors, ceilings. Heavy overspray; not for fine cabinet finish. .
HVLP (High-Volume Low-Pressure): turbine OR compressor pushes a lot of air at low pressure; less overspray, finer atomization. Great for cabinets, doors, furniture, trim. Slower; can't push heavy material like exterior latex. .
Air-assisted airless (AAA): combines airless pressure with low-pressure air; finest finish for cabinets + automotive. Pricey ; commercial / specialty use.
LVLP (Low-Volume Low-Pressure): lower CFM compressor requirement; smaller scale than HVLP. Furniture, hobbyist, light cabinet work. .
Compressed-air conventional: traditional siphon-feed gun + compressor; more overspray than HVLP, lower transfer efficiency (~30%). Auto body, older shops. Higher VOC emissions; many regs limit use.
Cup gun (siphon OR gravity feed): handheld, low-cost. Touch-up, small projects. .
Tip size selection (airless)
Tip number = orifice (last 2 digits = .001"; first digit = fan width inches). Example: 515 = 10" fan + .015" orifice.
Material → orifice:
- Stain / lacquer / very thin: .009" - .011" (009 - 011 tips)
- Latex (thinned) / clear: .011" - .013"
- Latex standard: .013" - .015"
- Latex thick / elastomeric: .017" - .021"
- Block filler / heavy coatings: .021" - .031"
Fan width: 4" - 6" small (cabinet doors), 8" - 10" medium (walls + trim), 12" - 14" large (exterior siding, fence). Wider = more material per pass + faster but harder to control.
Standard residential tips: 515 (general wall latex), 413 (trim + cabinet), 517 (exterior), 311 (lacquer + thin coating).
HVLP tip sizes
HVLP tips numbered by mm orifice:
- 1.0 - 1.3 mm: stain, lacquer, clear
- 1.3 - 1.5 mm: thinned latex, water-based
- 1.5 - 1.8 mm: full latex, primer
- 2.0+ mm: heavy texture coatings (rare HVLP)
Cabinet finish typically 1.3 - 1.4 mm with thinned waterborne.
Material viscosity
Manufacturers spec material viscosity (centipoise OR Zahn cup seconds). Thicker material needs larger tip OR thinning. Check label OR data sheet. Thinning: 10% water for waterborne latex (max); over-thinning weakens coverage.
Pressure setting (airless)
Start low + increase until fan-edge "tails" disappear (fingers at edge of fan = pressure too low). Tail = streaks of overspray on edges; clean fan = correct pressure.
Typical pressure: latex on walls 1800 - 2200 PSI; lacquer / fine finish 1000 - 1500 PSI; heavy elastomeric 2500 - 3000 PSI.
Tip wear
Worn tip = wider fan + uneven distribution. Replace when fan grows beyond rated width OR shape distorts. Hardened-steel tips ; carbide tips (3x life). Track tip hours; rotate to backup.
Spray technique
Distance: airless 12" off surface; HVLP 6" - 8". Closer = thicker coat + runs. Farther = dry overspray + orange peel.
Speed: 18 - 24 inches per second. Steady, parallel to surface, not arcing.
Overlap: each pass overlaps previous 50%. Less = stripes; more = drips.
Trigger: pull trigger off-edge of target, release off-other-edge (avoid stop-start in the middle).
Common materials + sprayer match
Cabinet doors (waterborne lacquer): HVLP 1.3 mm tip, AAA, OR airless 311 tip. Don't use large airless tip (orange peel).
Walls (latex): airless 515 OR 517. HVLP too slow.
Exterior siding: airless 517 OR 519. Heavy production.
Trim + door frames: airless 413, HVLP 1.4 mm, OR brush + roll (acceptable).
Fence + deck: airless 517 OR 619 (wider fan for fast coverage).
Texture / popcorn ceiling: hopper gun OR specific texture sprayer (not standard airless).
Block walls / elastomeric: airless 519 OR 621 (heavy tip, thicker material).
Cleanup
Airless:
- Reverse tip + flush with thinner (water OR mineral spirits per material)
- Pump thinner through gun
- Backflush filter
- Store with pump lube OR water in lines
- Clean tip in solvent
HVLP:
- Disassemble gun
- Soak parts in solvent
- Brush + reassemble
- Lube needle
Don't skip cleanup: paint hardens in pump = repair OR replacement.
Storage between jobs
Airless stored:
- 1 - 7 days: in water (waterborne) OR mineral spirits (oil)
- 1 week+: in pump-saver fluid (Graco Pump Armor, Titan Liquid Shield)
- Long-term: flushed dry + lubricated
HVLP stored:
- Clean + dry
- Cup tipped down
Safety
Airless injection injury: tip jet can inject paint under skin at 3,000 PSI = emergency surgery. NEVER point at body; always lock trigger when not spraying.
Solvent vapor: ventilation + cartridge respirator for oil-based.
Eye protection: goggles always.
Flammable paint: bond container + sprayer (static); no smoking; good ventilation.
Common sprayer mistakes
Wrong tip for material (clog OR poor finish). Skipping straining (clogs spray + ruins finish). Too close (runs + sags). Too far (dry overspray + orange peel). Inconsistent speed (uneven build). Spraying outside ideal temperature (60 - 80°F for most). Not flushing pump (hardened paint = damage). No respirator (paint vapor harm).
References
- Graco / Titan / Wagner sprayer manuals
- Manufacturer technical data (PPG, Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore)
- Sherwin-Williams Spray Application Guide
- Manuall internal: PPE Selection by Task, Solvents + Cleaners Reference