Best Spray Paint for Plastic: Colors that Stick

Guide to Buying Your Best Spray Paint for Plastics

While it isn’t impossible to remove dry spray paint from plastic, it is difficult. The last thing you want to do, too, is to undo all of your hard work if you find that the spray paint you’ve chosen to use on your plastic doesn’t meet your needs. With that in mind, let’s break down the different elements you’ll want to consider before choosing what spray paint to apply to your plastic.

The Different Types of Plastic

Before you can choose the perfect spray paint for your plastic, you’ll need to know what kind of material you’re working with. There is more than one type of plastic out on the market, and each can react to spray paint in different ways. With that in mind, let’s break down the different plastic types you’re likely to come across and how you’ll want to consider their different facets.

Plastic 01: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE, Polyester)

Most often used to produce consumable products, polyethylene terephthalate plastics can be used to help you craft strange and unique art around your home. You can also recycle your PET to create at-home hydroponic gardens, bird feeders, and alternative storage containers.

Spray painting PET can be tricky, as the material’s wrinkle-free, fibrous make won’t allow materials made out of it to absorb your paint as effectively as other, more porous materials might. Even so, with a primer and a sealant on hand, you can better help your spray paint stick to this slick surface, all without losing any definition or color vibrancy.

Plastic 02: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

High-density polyethylene is one of the thickest and most unrelenting plastics used by manufacturers. Most often used to craft milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and medicinal containers, this plastic is considered to be one of the most stable available to the general public.

When you spray paint high-density polyethylene, you’ll need to take the high concentration of its pores into account. You may need to texture or otherwise prepare your HDPE if you want it to successfully take a layer of spray paint. The good news, though, is that you shouldn’t have to apply many layers of paint to your project, as HDPE won’t adsorb and dilute your paint’s color.

Plastic 03: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Plumbers and prop designers alike know all about the perks of working with polyvinyl chloride plastics. These plastics are most often used to create stiffer materials, from PVC piping for home drainage systems to children’s toys.

Foundation repair experts, for example, can spray paint PVC pipe as they’re installing French drains around the exterior of your home, while prop designers can transform those same lengths of pipe into movie props. PVC plastic tends to take spray paint well, but you’ll want a sealant on hand to help keep your paint in place.

Pro-tip: polyvinyl chloride may be one of the most common plastics used in children’s toys and miniatures, but it isn’t the only type available on the market. Some toy manufacturers, including those affiliated with larger organizations like Wizards of the Coast, use Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or ABS thermoplastic, to create their products. You’ll want to do your research ahead of time to distinguish between PVC and ABS, as ABS requires both a primer and a sealant to successfully take spray paint.

Plastic 04: Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

As high-density polyethylene’s more flexible cousin, you’ll find low-density polyethylene just about everywhere. Some of the most common materials made out of LDPE include:

• Grocery bags
• Bread bags
• Plastic wrap
• Take-away cups
• Squeeze bottles
• Flexible food storage containers
• Wire
• Cable coverings

Crafters can make use of all of the above on a regular basis and can spray paint them to great effect. Note, though, that whether you’re a crafter or you’re just looking to better distinguish your cables from one another, that you’ll want to have a sealant on hand to ensure that your paint doesn’t strip off of LDPE too quickly.

Plastic 05: Polypropylene (PP)

Heat-resistant plastics like polypropylene are often used to create your Tupperware, water bottles, and other kitchen accessories. This plastic is also used by automotive manufacturers on a regular basis, meaning that you’re more than likely to interact with it if you want to give your care a paint job.

Polypropylene plastics are safe to interact with on a regular basis, having been tested and crafted to the point where the health risk they pose based on their material components is negligible to the user. If you’re looking to spray paint this type of plastic, you won’t have to worry about the material absorbing and de-coloring your paint of choice. However, do be prepared to prep your work surface accordingly, as some paints may slip right off of this type of plastic.

Plastic 06: Polystyrene (PS)

If you’re fond of crafting or otherwise just want to make use of plastic materials you have lying around your home, then you may find yourself working with polystyrene plastics on a regular basis. Polystyrene plastic is most often used to create food containers. Your egg cartons, take-out boxes, and most disposable cups, for example, are made out of polystyrene plastic.

These plastics, unfortunately, do have a low quality recycling rate. However, they can make excellent additions to the clever crafter’s material supply. When considering what kind of spray paint to use on polystyrene plastic, you’ll want to make note of the material’s particularly porous nature and prime the plastic accordingly.

Plastic 07: Polycarbonate and Bioplastics

Last but not least come the polycarbonate plastics and all other plastics that do not fit into one category over another. Many of these plastics have been cycled out of the marketplace due to their affiliation with bisphenol A and other toxic chemicals. However, you may still have some materials around your home that make use of unconventional plastic combinations that, in turn, may fit into this category.

In general, you will not want to try and spray paint plastics that fall into this category. It is in your best interest, instead, to dispose of these plastics as soon as you are able for the sake of your health. You can reach out to representatives at your local recycling center for disposal guidance, but do note that plastics in this category have a low recycling quality rate and may be better off if placed in a landfill.

What Project Are You Working On?

The spray paint that serves your interests bests may not be the same spray paint that someone else wants to use around their home. As you’re browsing the different types of spray paint you have available to you, you’ll not only want to consider what kind of plastic you’re contending with but the purpose of your project, as well.

Craft Projects

There’s nothing quite like stretching your creative muscles. If you want to use spray paint and plastic to create something for your home, there are plenty of different projects you can undertake. As you’re bringing together your materials, you’ll need to determine:

• Whether or not the project is going to regularly be on display
• Whether not the project will be interacted with on a regular basis
• Whether or not the project’s audience consists of children or adults
• Whether or not your project needs to be weather-resistant

If, for example, you want to create a bird feeder to put on your back porch, you’ll want to invest in a spray paint that is water-resistant, non-toxic, and that stands out against any landscaping you have in place. Alternatively, if you want to paint a set of small figurines for your children to play with, you may be able to search for a spray paint that forgoes water-resistance in favor of wear-resistance.

Art

Spray paints aren’t the best paints to blend on a canvas, but many artists can use that opacity to their benefit. If you’re in the market for spray paint that can make a mark on a plastic canvas or similar surface, then you may want a higher-quality paint than someone painting a bird house for fun might.

Similarly, you may not have to worry as much about whether or not your spray paint is waterproof, as it’s more than likely that your art will be on display and out of general reach.

Exterior Painting or Home Decor

Spray paint can often out-perform a roller when you’re looking to paint the outside of your home. When it comes to spray painting your siding, shutters, or even plastic lawn ornaments, you’ll want to take different spray paint features into account than you would if you were working with a plastic canvas.

The plastic features attached to your home frequently endure variable weather and animal visitors. As such, you may want to consider either pairing your spray paint with an affiliated sealant or investing in a particularly long-lasting paint brand, like Rust-Oleum 327874.

Business Production

If you want to begin offering services through your business that make use of spray paint’s appearance on plastic, then you’ll want to consider the kind of use the products you sell go through. For example, if you’re going to start offering paint jobs for parts of peoples’ cars, then you’ll need to invest in a spray paint that is, again, waterproof and wear-resistant, Krylon Camouflage Paint.

Alternatively, if you want to mass-produce plastic bottles that you’ve painted yourself, you’ll want to make sure that the paint you purchase has a long shelf-life, is non-toxic, and will not peel off of a bottle’s plastic surface after one or two uses.

Additional Plastic Painting Solutions

As you’re exploring your spray paint options, you’ll also want to consider whether or not you’re in the market for any accessories or additives. If you want to take on a simple project, for example, you may want to keep an eye out for a spray paint that advertises its durability and self-sealing properties. Alternatively, if you’re open to purchasing additional materials, you can pair a less-comprehensive spray paint with the following.

Primers

If your spray paint needs to be paired with a primer to work on plastic, you can head out into the market to see which of the available primers best pair with your spray paint of choice. Primers help cover up damage done to plastic materials around your home and workplace. Not only that, but they make it easier for the paint you’re working with to stick to your plastic.

If you try to use a spray paint that requires a primer without first priming your plastic, then you risk losing some of your piece’s definition during the painting process or otherwise diluting the color of your spray paint.

Sealants

Sealants, also known as finishes, help keep your spray paint in place after you’ve applied all of your desired layers. Sealants can lend a shine to your materials while also ensuring that they do not chip or otherwise suffer damage as readily as they might, otherwise. Not all spray paints, as mentioned, require sealants, but some may benefit from them after being applied to non-porous plastics. If you’re in the market for this kind of extra protection, you can see for yourself what kinds of sealants may pair with the spray paint that you’ve chosen to use.

You may also wish to consider the Peformix 11203 Plasti Dip, our favorite paint and sealant combination product. Otherwise, you should consider working with a more porous plastic or looking for a spray paint that has a quick dry time or a reputation for durability.

Spray Paint Guns

Some spray paints are designed to cover larger surfaces than others. If you find a spray paint, however, that you think fits your aesthetic and project needs but that doesn’t appear powerful enough to do the job on its own, you’re not out of luck.

Spray paint guns can help you spread an even layer of paint across large surfaces, like home siding or mass-produced products. If you would rather avoid having to purchase a tool like this, you can look into spray paints that come in larger sizes or that have more consistent nozzle pressure than the brand you were originally interested in.

Specialty Nozzles

Speaking of nozzles: not all spray paint can nozzles are created equal. While you may be satisfied with a general nozzle, you can alternatively invest in specialty nozzles that give you a more concentrated or patterned flow of paint. These nozzles can help you spread paint over a larger surface or get into plastic’s smaller crevices. If you’

If you would rather avoid this kind of purchase, however, you’ll want to make a point of purchasing a spray paint can that already comes with the nozzle that you’d prefer to use over time.

Final Thoughts

Reusing or upcycling the plastic around your home doesn’t have to be a challenge. So long as you know what kind of coverage you’re looking for, you can bring home a can of spray paint and transform any number of plastic materials, from jugs to your siding, into something that reflects your personal taste. Not only that, but you can also protect any plastic accessories or new art projects from rain, wear, and early peeling.

Ready to take a chance on your next project? With a little bit of research, you can bring home the spray paint that’ll treat your plastic belongings with the respect they deserve.