How To Paint Cabinets with a Sprayer

I have been receiving a lot of questions lately about cabinets and I am painting a large set of kitchen cabinets for a client. I’ve lost count of how many sets of painted cabinets we have painted, so I thought this would be a great way to talk through the process of using a paint sprayer for cabinets.

This house is being sold and the owner is completing a few budget updates to get ready. She was a bit overwhelmed with such a large kitchen, so I helped guide her on the best products, finishes, and processes for making these cabinets shine.

Here is the before:

Why You Need A Paint Sprayer

Painting kitchen cabinets is a HUGE job. I wouldn’t dream of hand-painting cabinets with a brush and roller. Here is why I recommend a sprayer:

1. It’s a Time Saver

Painting kitchen cabinets is a big job, even if you don’t have a huge kitchen. For this kitchen, even with 47 doors and drawers, one coat of paint took 2 hours! A brush would have required 8-10 hours per coat. A good paint sprayer is a lifesaver for large projects!

2. No Brush Marks

Nothing beats the easy-to-get smoothness of a sprayer. Period. The finish will look professionally done.

3. Less Paint Needed

A paint sprayer applies paint in very thin coats, much thinner than a typical brush. Therefore, even with the same number of coats, you get even coverage but use less paint.

*Note: We have a step-by-step printable guide to painting kitchen cabinets at the very bottom of this post. You can click jump to tutorial at the top of this post or read on for all our tips expert advice.

How to Prep for Painting

Especially for a large kitchen with multiple-sized doors and drawers, I HIGHLY recommend numbering them and making a chart. It will make it so much easier on you when you need to put everything back together.

As you can see, we used painter’s tape and put the tape in an inconspicuous place behind the hardware that we removed. We did the backsides first with the tape on the front, and then moved it to the back to paint the fronts.

With painting anything in the home, the basic steps remain the same – Clean with TSP, sand, wipe thoroughly to remove dust, prime, and paint.

With that being said, there are two questions I get asked ALL the time.

“Do I need to sand cabinets before painting?”

While many paints out there tout themselves as “no sanding required”, I still HIGHLY recommend sanding. Sanding helps paint bond and kitchen cabinets are very high-traffic pieces.

The worst feeling is to do all that work, and then realize the paint is chipping/peeling because you skipped this step. It just isn’t worth it.

The good news is you do NOT need to sand down to bare wood. A good rough-up with 120-grit sandpaper will do for most cabinet paints. Sand in the direction of the grain or use an orbital sander and mouse sander. These two tools will almost eliminate hand sanding while making the process much faster and easier.

To get a truly smooth, professional finish, sand with 220-grit sandpaper just before the last coat of paint.

Tips for Setting Up

Fun fact – I own 4 sprayers! For this cabinet set, we used the Wagner 3000 sprayer. This sprayer comes with two nozzles – one for finer, detailed work like cabinets and one for larger projects like staining a fence or painting walls.

Read More>>>> Our thoroughly tested guide to Best Paint Sprayers for Your Project!

1. Familiarize yourself with the sprayer you’re using, whether it’s an airless, HVLP, or a compressed air sprayer. Each has its own setup and operation.
2. Paint dust gets everywhere! Close doors, lay down drop cloths and cover sensitive items with plastic sheeting. I turn off the air conditioning inside while spraying even.
3. Choose a spray tip size based on the type of paint you’re using and texture. Smaller tips are better for fine finishes like cabinets where you need more control.
4. Test spray a scrap board (preferred) or large piece of cardboard. Anytime you take a break from using the sprayer, always hit the test board first. This includes after refills or long breaks.
5. If your paint sprayer won't spray, and you have cleaned it, check to make sure the small pinhole at the top of the suction tube is not clogged.
6. Clean the sprayer immediately after use. This ensures continued quality and is all the maintenance you need. Inspect for any damage or signs of wear as well.
7. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment, including goggles, a respirator mask, to protect yourself from paint fumes and overspray. Yes, I have to say it.
8. You can leave the paint in the sprayer between coats. I clean and wrap the nozzle in tight fitting plastic to avoid air from drying any paint. Some sprayers can’t do this though.
9. Paint in a well-ventilated area between 40 and 80 degrees and low humidity (under 70%) for the best spraying conditions.
10. Adjust the spray fan width. Narrower widths are suitable for detail work, while wider widths are better for large areas.
11. Determine the most efficient spraying direction for your project. This refers to the nozzle. A vertical nozzle on a air-powered sprayer has a different fan pattern than a horizontal nozzle.

How To Set Up the Sprayer and Work Area

On this particular sprayer, and most Wagner sprayers, the larger tip has three knobs to adjust: the airflow, the paint flow, and the paint width. The detail nozzle only has the airflow regulator.

Both sizes have the option to spray vertically or horizontally. Use the fine finish tip/canister (sometimes called the furniture gun) if your sprayer has multiple sizes.

Although this sprayer can handle most paints un-thinned, if you find that you just aren’t getting a super smooth finish or the sprayer is spitting, try thinning the paint with up to 10% water. I usually add ¼ a cup at a time and mix thoroughly to test.

*Note – Before adding water, ask the paint rep. A few paints, such as Benjamin Moore Advance, can be negatively impacted by adding water.

The doors and drawer fronts should ideally sit raised off the floor to keep the wet sides from touching anything while drying. We used scrap pieces of 4×4, but a pack of plastic solo cups is cheap and works great!

Expert Tips for Painting with a Sprayer

Beyond the setup, using the sprayer is as easy as it gets. Just point and shoot! However, there are a few quick tips to make the process go smoothly:

• Wipe the tip with a rag occasionally as you go. Dried paint can build up on it, causing your paint to splatter. 
• Start by spraying off the board, meaning engage the sprayer before you are over the top of the work product (or cabinet door in this case). Spray all the way across and let go of the trigger after you have gone off the door. If a sprayer is going to spatter, it will most likely happen when you engage/disengage the trigger.
• If you get spatter/orange peel, wipe off immediately until smooth and spray again. (A lesson I learned the hard way when I started out.) Sanding it all smooth again is much more time-consuming both to fixing the mistake and to project completion.
• Go slow enough for full coverage. Maintain a consistent speed and distance to achieve an even coat.
• You do NOT need to sand between coats. For the absolute best finish, sometimes I sand just before the last coat but not usually.
• Hold the paint sprayer gun about 10-12 inches away from the surface and begin spraying in smooth, overlapping strokes. Varying the distance can result in uneven coverage and overspray.
• Spray lengthwise, where possible. I find that the best way to spray cabinet doors is bottom to top of cabinet doors and left to right on drawer fronts because you are spraying in the direction of short side to short side. It produces less paint flashing or streaking and wastes less paint.

Check out our other post for more information on painting cabinets:

• How To Hide Wood Grain in Painted Cabinets
• Painting Cabinets like a Pro
• The Best Paints for Furniture
• What to Know Before Painting Kitchen Cabinets Black
• How to Protect Painted Surfaces with a Top Coat

I know that this sounds in-depth, but I promise after you get the hang of it, you may find yourself using a paint sprayer for all kinds of projects around the house. It really is addicting!

Our Project Results

And my friend is absolutely thrilled with her updated cabinets. In fact, it even spurred her to epoxy her countertops, replace the light fixtures and add knobs. She wishes she had done this years ago!