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:

1. Reverse tip + flush with thinner (water OR mineral spirits per material)
2. Pump thinner through gun
3. Backflush filter
4. Store with pump lube OR water in lines
5. Clean tip in solvent

HVLP:

1. Disassemble gun
2. Soak parts in solvent
3. Brush + reassemble
4. 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