Graco

Graco paint sprayers and spray tips are for homeowners, part-time painters and professionals painting inside and outside the home. The tip controls paint flow and fan width, so you can match the spray to the coating and the surface.

Graco makes fluid-handling and spraying equipment. Brothers Russell and Leil Gray founded the company in 1926. Graco introduced its first airless paint sprayer in 1958.

Match the sprayer to your workload

Graco is a good fit for occasional projects and part-time painting because its Magnum line targets painters doing occasional-to-weekly work. Start there for that schedule, then match the individual sprayer’s tip rating to your coating. Include masking and cleanup in your plan; pulling the trigger is only part of the job.

Ultra QuickShot is designed for small finishing jobs, while Ultra is Graco’s lineup of small electric sprayers for professionals. Mark HD is an electric airless family for varying coatings and finishes, including Level 5 finishes.

TrueCoat 360 is intended for personal household projects, and income-producing use voids its warranty.

Choose the tip for the coating and the surface

Start with the coating container or its product sheet; many give a recommended tip size. Graco recommends matching the tip opening to the coating and keeping it within the sprayer’s tip rating. Then choose the fan width for the surface. A wide fan on narrow trim sends more of the spray past the work.

Graco uses green for fine-finish tips and blue or black for general-use tips. Color helps identify the category. Make the final selection by the coating’s tip recommendation, the sprayer’s rating and the width of the surface you’re painting.

Watch the pattern as the tip wears

Graco spray tips are made from tungsten carbide, and they wear during normal use. Wear enlarges the opening and narrows the fan, putting more material into a narrower band. When the pattern changes, inspect the tip before changing your spraying technique.

Graco’s RAC name stands for Reverse-A-Clean. These tips have a reverse position for clearing clogs and can be replaced without removing the guard and housing. Follow your sprayer’s pressure-relief and tip-clearing instructions when handling the tip.

Set up carefully and clean promptly

Mask surrounding surfaces before priming, then follow your sprayer’s setup instructions. Test the pattern on scrap and keep the gun square to the work as you move. Graco recommends the lowest pressure that maintains a good spray pattern. Check the tip and your technique before turning up the pressure.

Plan cleanup before opening the paint. Graco tips wear in use, so cleaning is also a useful time to inspect them. Use the flushing sequence in your sprayer manual and the cleaning fluid specified by the coating and equipment instructions. Follow the pressure-relief procedure before removing tips or filters, and clean promptly so residue doesn’t harden in the passages.

Spray-tip specifications

On Graco’s usual three-digit tip code, doubling the first digit gives the fan width in inches at the stated spraying distance. The last two digits give the opening in thousandths of an inch.

Tip code	Fan width at 12 inches from the surface	Orifice size
515	10 inches	0.015 inch

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Graco a good brand for paint sprayers?

Yes. Graco factory-tests every sprayer, and its airless sprayers are designed and built in the United States using global components. The useful match for you is a sprayer that supports your coating’s recommended tip size and fits how often you paint.

What is the Graco TrueCoat 360 used for?

It’s intended for personal household painting projects. Paid painting work voids its warranty, so that distinction matters if you’re taking on jobs for customers. The original purchaser gets one year of coverage for defects in material and workmanship, with operation and maintenance according to the instructions.

How do you use a Graco paint sprayer?

Match the tip to your coating and the sprayer’s rating, then follow the equipment’s priming and setup instructions. Practice on scrap at the lowest pressure that gives you a good pattern. Keep the gun square to the surface and your distance steady; start moving before you pull the trigger and release it before you stop moving to avoid a heavy patch at each end.

How do you clean a Graco paint sprayer?

Use the cleaning fluid specified by both the coating and equipment instructions, and follow your sprayer’s flushing sequence. Follow its pressure-relief procedure before removing the tip or filters. Give cleanup time in your schedule while the coating is still wet, because dried residue makes the next setup harder.