Aerosol paint

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Aerosol paint can. Propellant in the top of the can pressures down on the paint propellant mixture in the bottom. The paint mixture is pushed up through the dip tube when the valve is opened.

A typical paint valve system will have a "female" valve, the stem being part of the top actuator. The valve can be preassembled with the valve cup and installed on the can as one piece, prior to pressure-filling. The actuator is added after.

Aerosol paint (spray paint) – Paint in a sealed pressurized container that is released in a fine spray mist when depressing a valve button located on the top of the can. When applied correctly, aerosol paint leaves a smooth, evenly coated surface, unlike many rolled or brushed paints. Standard sized cans are portable, inexpensive and easy to store. Aerosol primer can be applied directly to bare metal and many plastics.

1 History
2 Uses
- 2.1 Commercial, Industrial and Consumer Uses
- 2.2 Graffiti & Street Art Uses
3 Stencils
4 Graffiti
5 Sources
6 External links

[edit] History

In 1949, Edward Seymour added paint to existing aerosol can technology at his wife, Bonnie's suggestion. Initially designed to demonstrate his aluminum paint, the delivery system itself was instantly popular. Chase Products Company was the first company to manufacturer spray paint.^{[citation needed]} Seymour of Sycamore, Inc. and Chase Products Company still produce aerosol spray paints to this day.

Most Aerosol paints also have a metal, glass or plastic ball (known as a pea) inside of the can, which is used to stir (mix) the paint without touching it.

[edit] Uses

[edit] Commercial, Industrial and Consumer Uses

Most brands include a wide variety of paints, including primers, heat and traffic resistant enamels, gloss and matte finishes, metallic colors, and textured paints for home decor.

Acrylic-based craft primers can be used on plastics like models or miniatures.

Aerosol paint survey marking indicating below street gas service line. New York City, 2007.

Aerosol paint is useful for quick, semi-permanent marking on construction and surveying sites. Inverted cans for street, utility or field marking can be used upside-down with an extension pole. APWA (American Public Works Association) has standardized colors for utility and excavation markings.

Major industrial and commercial brands include:

Champion-Sprayon, Krylon, Rust-Oleum, Plasti-kote, Dupli-color, and Spray Products

[edit] Graffiti & Street Art Uses

Main article: Graffiti

Graffiti piece in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Speed, portability and permanence also make aerosol paint a common graffiti medium. In the 1970s, graffiti writers' signatures and murals became more elaborate and a unique style developed as a factor of the aerosol medium and the speed required for illicit work. Many now recognize graffiti and street art as a unique art form and specifically manufactured aerosol paints are made for the graffiti artist.

Graffiti artist paints tend to be more expensive, but have a wider selection of rich colors, are thicker and less likely to drip. They are produced in standard high pressure cans for fast, thick coverage and lower pressure cans for more control and flexibility. Most art brand paints have 2 or 3 mixing peas in a can. A wide array of caps are available, from standard "skinny" caps to wider "fat" caps, as well as caps that control the softness or crispness of the spray. Calligraphy caps create fan spray instead of the standard round.

Major European street art brands include:

Belton Molotow - Germany

Montana Colors or MTN - Spain

Montana Cans – Germany (Motip Dupli manufacturer)

Monster Colors - UK

[edit] Stencils

Spray paint graffiti tags on a dumpster with the owner's markings spray painted using a stencil. New York City, 2007.

Main articles: Stencil and Stencil graffiti

When aerosol paint is used, care must be taken to cover or mask areas where paint is not wanted. A stencil can be used to protect a surface except the specific shape that is to be painted. Stencils can be purchased as movable letters, ordered as professionally cut logos, or hand-cut by artists.

Stencils can be used multiple times for recognition and consistency. Official stencils can be used to quickly and clearly label objects, vehicles or locations. Graffiti writers can use stencils to quickly mark in busy places or leave recognizable tags over a large area. Stencil artists often use multiple colors, or create elaborate stencils that are works of art in themselves.

[edit] Graffiti

A number or aerosol paint cans left at a graffiti site

Graffiti is considered a crime in most communities and promptly removed from subway cars, monuments and public buildings. The UK and many US cities prohibit the sale of aerosol paint to minors as part of graffiti abatement programs. While major industrial and consumer aerosol paint companies like Krylon and Rust-Oleum actively participate in anti-graffiti programs, art-brand companies are often supportive of writers and graffiti culture, though most do not endorse illegal writing.