Paint Sprayer Calculator
Estimate sprayable area, coat count, transfer efficiency, tip flow, overlap, pressure, solids, paint volume, and spray time for airless, HVLP, LVLP, and conventional sprayers.
1 Sprayer presets
Pick a real setup, then adjust the fields for your coating, surface, and sprayer.
2 Inputs
3 Results
4 Coating and sprayer grid
5 Reference tables
Use these tables as planning references, then follow the coating data sheet and sprayer manual for the final setup.
| Coating | Common sprayer | Tip range | Pressure range | Typical transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior latex | Airless | 0.013 to 0.017 | 1800 to 2500 PSI | 45% to 60% |
| Waterborne enamel | HVLP or fine airless | 0.008 to 0.012 | 900 to 1800 PSI | 60% to 75% |
| Exterior stain | Airless or pump sprayer | 0.011 to 0.017 | 800 to 1800 PSI | 40% to 60% |
| Primer | Airless | 0.015 to 0.021 | 1800 to 2600 PSI | 45% to 60% |
| Elastomeric | High-output airless | 0.021 to 0.031 | 2500 to 3300 PSI | 40% to 55% |
| Sprayer type | Best use | Efficiency planning value | Setup note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVLP turbine | Cabinets, doors, trim | 60% to 75% | Lower flow, slower passes |
| LVLP gun | Small finish work | 55% to 70% | Needs steady air supply |
| Airless | Walls, siding, fences | 40% to 60% | Flow depends on tip and pressure |
| Conventional gun | Shop coatings | 35% to 50% | More overspray allowance |
| Texture or roof rig | Heavy coatings | 35% to 50% | Large tips and slow passes |
| Volume solids | DFT target | Wet film needed | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25% | 1.5 mil | 6.0 mil | Thin clears and stains need more wet film |
| 38% | 1.5 mil | 3.9 mil | Common for many wall paints |
| 50% | 2.0 mil | 4.0 mil | Often seen in primers and enamels |
| 65% | 12.0 mil | 18.5 mil | High-build coatings need large tips |
| Tip family | Approx fan | Rated flow | Typical coating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 210 to 310 | 4 to 6 in | 0.08 to 0.18 gpm | Trim, cabinets, doors |
| 411 to 515 | 8 to 10 in | 0.18 to 0.27 gpm | Latex, stain, primer |
| 517 to 621 | 10 to 12 in | 0.27 to 0.47 gpm | Exterior walls, fences |
| 523 to 631 | 10 to 12 in | 0.47 to 0.75 gpm | Block filler, roof coating |
6 Tips
Applying paint with a sprayer will usualy take less time than using a brush or roller to apply the same amount of paint to a surface. However, prior to beginning to spray the paint onto the surface to be painted, there is certain steps that should be performed in order to prepare the project. One of these steps is to determine how much paint will remain on the surface after it is sprayed onto the surface.
The solids content of the paint, the amount of paint that will be lost to transfer loss and overspray, and the amount of paint that will be lost to the overlap of the spray patterns all has an impact upon the amount of paint that will remain on the surface. If these factors are not accounted for prior to beginning the painting project with the sprayer, it is possible that the paint will either become insufficient to complete the project alone, or that there will be an excess amount of paint after the project are completed. The calculator included on this page can be used to determine the amount of paint that will be required for a project of this type.
How to Calculate Paint Needed for Spraying
The user can enter the area of the project and the numbers of coats of paint that will be applied, as well as various factors relating to the paint and the sprayer to be used. The volume solids of the paint will determine how much of the paint will actualy remain on the surface after the paint dries; the transfer efficiency of the paint will determine how much paint will become overspray as it is applied to the surface, the overlap of the sprayer patterns will determine how many passes will be made with the sprayer to cover each square foot of the project area. Each of these parameters, when entered, will allow the calculator to determine the total gallons of paint and the number of minute that the sprayer will need to complete the project.
Many people often focus upon the tip size and the pressure at which the sprayer will be used. However, the transfer efficiency and the overlap of the sprayer will impact the amount of paint that will be used. For instance, using a paint with 10 percent less transfer efficiency will require the same amount of paint as if an additional coat were applied.
Additionally, the overlap setting of the sprayer will also impact the amount of paint that is used. For instance, using an overlap of 50 percent may be more comfortable for the sprayer than using an overlap of 60 percent, but the paint that is used will be more with the increased overlap. The calculations of the amount of paint that will be used may be made more difficult if the project is to be performed upon a real surface rather than a theoretical one.
For instance, the area to be covered in the calculations can be entered into the calculator directly, or the length and height of the surface can be entered, but the area that will actualy be covered by the paint can be subtracted from the area to be sprayed with the paint. The calculator will account for the portion of time when the trigger of the paint sprayer is pulled while moving the paint sprayer along the surface to be painted. Most humans dont pull the trigger 100 percent of the time while moving the paint sprayer from one area to the next along the surface to be painted.
Additionally, the type of paint to be used may impact the amount of paint that is calculated to be used. For instance, waterborne enamels may contain 42 percent solids in the paint, as compared to 38 percent solids in latex paint. Thus, the waterborne enamel may cover more area with less paint than is required for the latex paint.
The parameters for the type of paint to be used with the sprayer will automatically adjust the gallons of paint and the amount of time that the sprayer will be running. Additionally, the amount of paint that will be used may also be indicated if the flow rate of the paint to be used with the sprayer is set at a rate that is too highly for the sprayer tip that is to be used. Knowing the amount of time that the sprayer will be running will allow the painter to schedule the painting job in question.
For instance, if the painter pauses the sprayer during the painting process to allow for cleaning corners, the total time that the sprayer will be on will be greater than the time calculated by the calculator. Thus, while the sprayer will provide an estimate of the amount of time that the sprayer will need to complete the project, that amount of time isnt a guarantee for the project to be completed in the time calculated. The tables that are provided with the calculator for the various types of paint will show the typical tip sizes, pressures, and the transfer efficiencies for those types of paints.
While these tables may help to indicate the time and the amount of gallons of paint that will be used for the project, the user should review the data sheet for the specific paint to be used for accuracy of these estimates. For instance, primers that are to be applied to the surface may require a dry film thickness of 2 mils, as compared to stains that only require 0.8 mils of paint to achieve the desired results. Thus, the tables will reflect these differences in the amount of paint that will be used.
The tables and the paint sprayer calculator can be used to determine whether the job is better perform with airless sprayers, HVLP sprayers, or conventional sprayers. These estimates as to the amount of paint to be used with a sprayer can show why two similar projects may require different amounts of paint. Regardless of the calculations of the amount of paint that will be used, testing the paint with a test panel will ensure that the paint will be properly mixed, and the painter can adjust the speed of the sprayer or the overlap of the paint patterns to achieve the amount of paint that is required to be used.
Thus, while the sprayer and the paint calculations may save the painter some steps prior to beginning the painting job, the test panel will ensure that the calculations of the amount of paint to be used are properly account for.
