Inspiring Design
Creative spray painting
Courageously transforming glum to glam
Society is thinking more critically about waste these days.
The age-old practice of fixing something up instead of tossing
it away is back in favor, and spray paint is a key player
in the re-use revolution. A quick Pinterest search for “spray paint”
turns up endless ideas on how to revamp furniture, fixtures, even
shoes and empty glass yogurt cups. Paint companies deliver an
incredible array of effects that can be achieved with spray paint.
As SPRAY’s editor noted, anything seems possible in this season
of rainbow glitter unicorns. Spraying glitter or chalk paint, for
instance, can be a daunting R&D challenge, but our industry
demonstrates these challenges can be overcome through smart
aerosol design.
Ounces of confidence
At its core, spray paint has to deliver that swelling moment of
pride when a consumer finishes a project, steps back and says,
“Wow, that looks amazing!” There are a series of hurdles that
come before that moment of truth; any one of those hurdles
could hook a toe and send the effort sprawling off track.
Let’s look at the user experience of a painting project and
explore the features of a well-designed spray paint.
Inspiration. Adaptation. Limitless creation.
The first time you spray a can of paint, it takes a second to get
used to the power of the spray, the amount of pressure it takes
to start dispensing and figuring out how close or far away to be
from the target surface. There’s an element of courage involved.
Finding ways to soften the spray, cradling the finger on the spray
button and building confidence in the direction of the spray
pattern will turn your paint product into a supportive ally in the
creative process.
Spray pattern is critical. Street artists know this; they keep a
wide variety of spray buttons on-hand to adjust the width and
the density of the paint they lay down. I’ve always found studying
adjacent categories to be inspiring. For spray development, I love
studying extreme users like street artists who come up with their
own adaptations to create incredible spray effects. They figure out
how to control the paint pattern by using different spray tips and
by holding the can at varied distances and angles.
An unskilled consumer looking to create a similar spray effect
would likely welcome the ability to intuitively adapt the spray,
preventing overspray while delivering an even, soft application of
paint right where it’s wanted.
R&D challenges
In aerosol development, the spray pattern is a complex balance of
features. If only it were as simple as changing out the spray orifice!
To a point, changing the mechanical breakup unit (MBU) inside
the actuator can create nice variations in spray pattern, but the
pattern is also heavily affected by the propellant, the dip tube,
the size of the valve orifices, the presence of a vapor tap and the
surface tension of the formulation. Like a spider web, pulling one
thread affects the other sections of the web—and let’s not forget,
in the hands of a consumer, the spray distance also plays a role
in what sort of pattern is achieved. Spray pattern deserves special
attention in finished product testing to make sure all the features
come together to create the intended consumer experience.
Some creative projects require crazy spray angles to get at all the
surfaces. It’s critical that the user achieve consistent spray in any
orientation, with no clogging.
Thick formulations and the
presence of particulate (glitter
anyone?) can create settling or
agglomeration that can readily
clog a valve or actuator. An
any-angle check-ball valve provides
yet another location for
clogging to occur. Spray testing,
both in the lab and with your
consumer, is essential to ensure
you understand the performance
of your product through
the use-up of the can, and under
the circumstances in which
your product will be used.
20 Spray October 2020
Heidi Graham
Founder, Shine Advisor
Photo: Snkr Dstrctn
Photo: allthingsthrifty