Acrylic paint is a popular paint made of pigment that has been suspended in acrylic emulation. As a result, the paint is exceptionally versatile, and not only is it water-soluble, but it's also fast-drying.
If you’ve always wanted to know if this paint stick to plastic, we’re here to help.
In this guide, we’ll provide you with everything you need to know about whether acrylic paint will stick to plastic and if you’re able to use it or not.
As plastic is a non-porous material with a glossy finish and smooth painted surface, it can be challenging to paint plastic with acrylic paint stay long.
If you would like acrylic paint sticks to plastic furniture or recycled plastic bottles or other plastic items, it's necessary to prepare the surface.
If you decide to paint on plastic with acrylic paint without doing the necessary preparation, you run the risk of your paint both peeling and chipping.
It’s also important to note that acrylic painting on plastic works better than others. For example, the paint would not stick at all to polypropylene along with polyethylene.
If you would like your acrylic spray painting plastic with acrylic, then you would need to prepare the surface by lightly sanding the plastic surface with liquid sander before applying a base coat or primer.
Sanding also helps to create more surface area for better paint adhesion.
If you want even more durability, you can also apply a clear acrylic sealer like acrylic sealer spray or spray sealer to ensure more permanent results.
The appropriate paint for plastic: krylon colormaxx spray paint or acrylic spray paint or regular spray paint and primer compatibility. Available in a number of different colors, the rust oleum spray paint is quick-drying. Spray paints offer a stunning elegance to any surface.
How To Use Acrylic Paint On Plastic (DIY Guide)
Whether you’re planning on using craft acrylic paints for plastic models or bottled acrylic paints on plastic, here's how to get started:
1. Prepare the plastic surface
To start, you would want to clean and degrease the plastic surfaces before applying a primer. In most instances, just soap and water should do the paint job. After your plastic surface has dried, you’ll then go ahead and lightly sand the surface to remove any coatings.
When sanding to prepare for acrylic paint, 180-220 fine grit sandpaper or fine grain sandpaper should do the trick. Then, use a damp cloth to wipe any dust away before using alcohol to rub to wipe the surface and allow the item to dry.
2. Applying primer
When using acrylic paints, it's important that you apply one or two thin coats of best acrylic paint primer for plastic.
When applying your primer, make sure that you've got gloves, protective eyewear, and a mask for protection. Cover the entire plastic surfaces before allowing it to dry completely for several hours to get shiny surfaces.
Applying primer on the acrylic plastic will help ensure that the craft paint has a solid foundation. While you can choose to use a brush-on or spray cans of primer, the latter is typically the better option. With brush-on primers, you would need to make sure that you’re not leaving any brush marks or bubbles.
If you would like additional durability, you can consider applying a clear sealant to your plastic to ensure that you've got more permanent results.
3. Paint
Once the primer or spray sealers have dried, go ahead with painting on plastic flower pots with acrylic painting. Go with a geometric design or freehand with a permanent white marker, whatever suits your needs best.
Similarly, if you’re thinking of using this type of paint for plastic toys, you can even consider using a stencil if you’d like to be a bit more intricate with the design. Do not wait until your paint completely dry to remove your painter's tape.
How To Seal Paint On Plastic Surfaces
Here’s how you’ll go about sealing this type of enamel paint on the plastic:
- 1Using polyacrylic
While mainly used for indoor projects, this is a great water-based protective acrylic paint sealer. - 2Apply polyurethane
Polyurethane is more durable than polyacrylic, but it can give off a yellowish tinge that may not look great. - 3Use acrylic polymer varnish
Available in matte, gloss, and even satin, acrylic polymer varnish is great at sealing acrylic paint. It even comes formulated with UV protection. - 4Acrylic resin varnish
Exceptionally strong and durable, you can’t go wrong with mixing acrylic resin varnish if you’re working on detailed crafts. Sealing paint on plastic is great. Not only does it provide protection to the paint, but it also prevents it from getting any scratches or dirt build-up.
How To Remove Dried Paint From Plastic
Looking to remove excess paint from plastic? Here’s how you’ll go about doing so:
Start by gathering the following ingredients:
- 1Place the painted plastic item into the plastic bag before pouring about half a cup of rubbing alcohol into the bag. Seal the bag and shake it for at least a minute. Then, allow the bag to sit for about 10 minutes.
- 2Take out the plastic painted item and rub it with a toothbrush to get rid of the old paint. Do this until the paint comes off entirely.
- 3Place the plastic painted item in a tub of warm water and soap before allowing it to dry. If there’s still some paint left, go ahead and repeat step two.
Generally, however paint of this type is easy to remove, so you should be able to do so in no time at all.
Acrylic Paint On Plastic FAQs
How long does it take for acrylic paint to dry on plastic?
It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for acrylic paint to dry on plastic. However, after it dries, you should consider using some sort of varnish to assist with sealing the paint to the surface - this helps prevent flaking or peeling later.
What kind of paint works best on plastic?
There are many different types of paint out there, and some are specially formulated to adhere to plastic. Some examples include plastic spray paint and specialty paint for plastic materials.
Does acrylic paint wash off?
As acrylic paint is water-based and quick-drying, it can be cleaned up with simple soap and water when wet. When paint is dry, however, it is permanent and can be difficult to remove.
Can you use hairspray to seal the acrylic paint on the plastic?
You cannot seal acrylic paint with hairspray. Paint and hairspray don't react well to each other and, in some instances, can even cause your paint to melt and have a gooey texture.
Conclusion
If you’re someone that enjoys using paint, it’s important to note that if you’d like to use this type of paint on plastic, you’d need to prepare the entire surface and apply a base clear coat or primer thin layer.
It’s crucial to follow the necessary steps or run the risk of your paint chipping or peeling.