Whether you're talking to contractors, shopping for paint, or tackling a DIY project, understanding painting terminology helps you make better decisions and communicate effectively. This comprehensive glossary covers 100+ terms organized by category.
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Paint Types & Finishes
Latex Paint
Water-based paint that cleans up with water. Most common type for interior and exterior use. Dries quickly, low odor, environmentally friendly.
Oil-Based Paint (Alkyd)
Solvent-based paint that provides hard, durable finish. Requires mineral spirits for cleanup. Better for high-wear areas and blocking stains, but has strong odor and longer dry time.
Acrylic Paint
High-quality latex paint with acrylic resins. Superior durability, color retention, and adhesion. Best choice for exterior applications.
Enamel Paint
Hard, glossy, durable paint. Can be oil-based or latex. Used for trim, cabinets, doors, and high-wear surfaces.
Flat/Matte
No-shine finish that hides surface imperfections. Best for ceilings and low-traffic walls. Difficult to clean.
Eggshell
Slight sheen similar to an eggshell. Good balance of durability and appearance. Popular for living rooms and bedrooms.
Satin
Soft, velvety sheen. More durable and washable than eggshell. Great for high-traffic areas, kitchens, bathrooms.
Semi-Gloss
Noticeable shine. Very durable and easy to clean. Standard for trim, doors, cabinets, and bathrooms.
High-Gloss
Maximum shine and reflection. Extremely durable but shows every imperfection. Used for accent pieces, furniture, some trim.
Chalk Paint
Matte, chalky finish paint. Adheres to most surfaces without priming. Popular for furniture and shabby-chic looks.
Milk Paint
Traditional paint made from milk protein, lime, and pigment. Creates antique, distressed look.
Elastomeric Paint
Flexible coating that stretches to bridge cracks. Used on stucco, masonry, and exterior surfaces prone to movement.
Application Terms
Cutting In
Painting edges, corners, and tight areas with a brush before rolling. Creates clean lines where roller can't reach.
Feathering
Blending wet paint into previously painted areas to avoid visible overlap marks. Essential for seamless finish.
Wet Edge
Keeping a wet edge while painting to blend new paint into still-wet paint. Prevents lap marks and visible seams.
Boxing Paint
Mixing multiple paint cans together to ensure consistent color throughout the project. Essential when using more than one gallon.
Back-Rolling
Rolling over freshly sprayed paint to even out coverage and improve adhesion. Common in commercial applications.
Cross-Hatching
Rolling paint in an X or W pattern to distribute paint evenly before making final straight passes.
Laying Off
Final, light roller strokes in one direction to smooth texture and eliminate roller marks.
Dry Roll
Rolling without enough paint, creating stippled, uneven texture. A common DIY mistake.
Tipping Off
Light brush strokes at the end of a stroke to smooth and even the finish. Important for trim work.
Spraying
Applying paint using airless or HVLP sprayer. Fastest method, gives smooth finish, requires masking.
Brush Marks
Visible lines left by brush bristles. Indicate poor technique, wrong brush, or paint drying too fast.
Orange Peel
Bumpy texture resembling orange skin. Caused by spray technique issues, wrong pressure, or temperature.
Surface Preparation
Primer
Base coat applied before paint. Seals porous surfaces, improves adhesion, blocks stains, and ensures even color.
Bonding Primer
Specialty primer that adheres to difficult surfaces like glossy paint, tile, laminate, and metal.
Stain-Blocking Primer
Primer that prevents stains from bleeding through paint. Essential for water stains, smoke damage, wood tannins.
TSP (Trisodium Phosphate)
Heavy-duty cleaner for walls before painting. Removes grease, grime, and prepares surface for paint.
Deglossing
Removing sheen from a surface so new paint adheres properly. Done with sandpaper or liquid deglosser.
Spackle
Lightweight filler for small holes and dents in drywall. Apply, let dry, sand smooth before painting.
Joint Compound (Mud)
Gypsum-based compound for larger repairs, taping drywall seams, and skim coating.
Caulk
Flexible sealant for gaps between trim and walls, around windows, and where different materials meet.
Skim Coating
Applying thin layer of joint compound over entire surface for smooth finish. Used on damaged or textured walls.
Sanding
Smoothing surfaces with sandpaper or sanding sponge. Essential between coats and after repairs.
Tack Cloth
Sticky cloth that removes dust and particles after sanding. Ensures clean surface before painting.
Masking
Protecting areas from paint with tape, paper, and plastic. Essential for clean lines and protection.
Color & Technical Terms
LRV (Light Reflectance Value)
Measures how much light a color reflects on 0-100 scale. Black = 0, pure white = 100. Important for room brightness.
Undertone
Subtle underlying hue in a paint color. Gray can have blue, green, or purple undertones. Critical for color selection.
Mass Tone
The dominant color you see at first glance, before considering undertones.
Hue
The pure color family (red, blue, green, etc.) before any white, black, or gray is added.
Saturation
Intensity or purity of a color. Highly saturated = vivid. Desaturated = muted, grayed.
Value
How light or dark a color is, regardless of hue. Adding white increases value, adding black decreases it.
Tint
Color mixed with white to create a lighter version.
Shade
Color mixed with black to create a darker version.
Tone
Color mixed with gray to create a more muted version.
Colorant/Tint
Concentrated pigment added to base paint to create specific colors. Mixed at paint store.
Color Match
Custom-mixing paint to match a specific sample, fabric, or existing color.
Metamerism
When colors appear to match under one light but look different under another light source.
Paint Properties
Coverage
How much surface area a gallon of paint covers. Typically 350-400 sq ft per gallon.
Hiding/Opacity
Paint's ability to completely cover the color beneath. Better hiding = fewer coats needed.
Dry Time
Time for paint to dry to touch. Typically 1-2 hours for latex. Recoat time is usually longer.
Recoat Time
Minimum time to wait before applying next coat. Usually 2-4 hours for latex, 24 hours for oil.
Cure Time
Time for paint to fully harden. Takes 2-4 weeks. Until cured, paint is more susceptible to damage.
VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
Chemicals that evaporate from paint and can affect air quality. Low-VOC and zero-VOC paints available.
Sheen
The level of shine or gloss in dried paint. Ranges from flat to high-gloss.
Washability
How well dried paint withstands cleaning without damage. Higher sheen = more washable.
Adhesion
How well paint sticks to the surface. Proper prep and primer improve adhesion.
Flexibility
Paint's ability to expand and contract with surface movement without cracking.
Durability
How well paint resists wear, fading, and environmental damage over time.
Mil Thickness
Measurement of dried paint film thickness. One mil = 0.001 inch. Proper thickness ensures durability.
Problem Terms
Bleeding
Stains or previous colors showing through new paint. Caused by insufficient primer or stain-blocking.
Blistering
Bubbles in paint film. Caused by moisture, heat, or painting over contaminated surface.
Chalking
Powdery residue on exterior paint. Normal weathering of old paint. Must be removed before repainting.
Crazing/Cracking
Fine cracks in paint surface. Caused by age, thick application, or painting over incompatible surface.
Alligatoring
Pattern of cracks resembling alligator skin. Severe cracking requiring complete removal before repainting.
Peeling
Paint separating from surface in sheets. Caused by moisture, poor adhesion, or incompatible layers.
Flashing
Uneven sheen or color patches. Caused by inconsistent application, improper priming, or spot-touching up.
Lap Marks
Visible lines where wet paint overlapped dry paint. Prevented by maintaining wet edge.
Sagging/Running
Paint dripping or drooping before drying. Caused by applying too much paint.
Wrinkling
Rippled texture in dried paint. Caused by applying paint too thick or in extreme temperatures.
Mildew
Black or gray fungal growth on paint surface. Common in humid areas. Requires mildew-killing primer.
Efflorescence
White, chalky residue on masonry surfaces. Caused by salt deposits migrating through the surface.
Tools & Equipment
Angled Brush (Sash Brush)
Brush with angled bristles for cutting in and detail work. 2" or 2.5" most common.
Roller Frame
Handle that holds roller covers. Choose quality metal frame with comfortable grip.
Roller Cover (Sleeve)
Fabric cylinder that holds and applies paint. Nap length varies by surface texture.
Nap
Thickness of roller cover fabric. 3/8" for smooth walls, 1/2" for textured, 3/4"+ for rough surfaces.
Extension Pole
Pole that attaches to roller for reaching high areas without ladder.
Paint Tray
Container for loading roller with paint. Disposable liners save cleanup time.
5-Gallon Bucket with Grid
Professional alternative to tray. Holds more paint, grid distributes paint evenly on roller.
Painter's Tape
Low-tack tape for masking edges. Blue (ScotchBlue) and green (FrogTape) most common.
Drop Cloth
Floor protection while painting. Canvas is best (non-slip, absorbent), plastic is cheaper.
Airless Sprayer
Professional spray equipment using high pressure. Fastest coverage for large areas.
HVLP Sprayer
High Volume Low Pressure sprayer. More control than airless, less overspray. Good for cabinets and trim.
Edger
Pad tool with wheels for painting along edges. Useful for ceilings and corners.
Common Paint Abbreviations
Frequently Asked Questions
LRV (Light Reflectance Value) measures how much light a color reflects on a 0-100 scale. Higher LRV = lighter color. LRV 50+ is light, 30-50 is medium, below 30 is dark.
Cutting in is painting edges, corners, and areas a roller can't reach using an angled brush. It's done before rolling to create clean lines.
Primer is a base coat that seals surfaces, improves adhesion, and blocks stains. Paint provides color and protection. Primer prepares; paint finishes.
Undertone is the subtle underlying hue in a paint color. For example, a gray can have blue, green, or purple undertones.
These are sheen levels. Flat has no shine, eggshell has slight sheen, satin has soft glow, semi-gloss is shiny. Higher sheen = more durable and washable.
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