What psi should I spray acrylics at through an airbrush?

There is no single psi for acrylics. Acrylic is a binder family, and products, thinners and airbrush setups differ. This selector's authored job bands are 10-15 psi for fine detail lines and 15-20 psi for general coverage, but it adds no paint-family offset. Start from the paint and airbrush maker's instructions, then test on scrap and adjust; a label saying 'acrylic' is not evidence that one pressure suits every product.

Does a smaller needle need lower pressure?

It can allow a lower pressure for the same pattern, but it is not a rule you can apply without the product instructions. A small nozzle and needle set may make a narrower pattern at less air, while the paint, air cap, needle condition and technique still change the result. Use the maker's guidance for the exact set and prove it on scrap rather than assuming a pressure from the diameter.

Should I set the pressure with air flowing or at rest?

Set it the way you spray. Regulators read slightly high when the trigger is closed, so press the trigger and let air flow while you adjust, then check the gauge again mid-pass. Whatever the gauge says with air flowing is the number this tool is talking about.

Why does my airbrush splatter or spit when I lower the pressure?

A lower pressure can be too little air for that mix and setup, but it is not a universal cut-off. Check the symptom on scrap, confirm the gauge reading with air flowing and compare it with the paint and airbrush instructions. Then change one variable: a small pressure step, a small mix adjustment, or a tip-face check. If the fault remains, use the troubleshooting diagnostic; do not assume the mix is the cause.

My regulator is marked in bar. What do I set it to?

Use the bar figure in the result: the tool converts every psi range exactly, at 1 psi = 0.0689476 bar. A 15-20 psi range is about 1.03-1.38 bar. Gauges are rarely accurate to better than half a bar at the bottom of their scale, so treat the number as a starting mark and fine-tune by watching the spray.

Pressure and needle tool

Airbrush PSI and Needle Size Selector

Tell the selector what you are spraying, what paint is in the cup and what airbrush you own, and it returns a suggested starting pressure range in psi, bar and kPa plus a nominal nozzle and needle range for the job — worked out step by step in your browser from authored preference rules reviewed in October 2026. These are not measurements of your paint or equipment and not a compatibility check.

Your job

Three answers are enough. The result is a starting range from authored preference rules — not a measurement of your paint, a chemistry verdict or a rating of your compressor. Everything is worked out in your browser, so nothing you choose here is uploaded or stored.

What are you spraying?

The job sets both the pressure range and the nozzle size range.

What paint is in the cup?

Paint choice adds context and product instructions to the result; it does not change the pressure arithmetic.

What airbrush are you using?

Pick the closest nozzle size, or say you are still choosing.

Your suggested setup

Choose the job, the paint and your airbrush, then selectSelect my setup. You get a suggested starting pressure in psi, bar and kPa, a nominal nozzle and needle size range for that job, and every step of the reasoning underneath.

How the selector builds a setup

The selector applies authored preference rules in a fixed order. The job sets an illustrative starting band. The paint choice adds context for that product family but no pressure arithmetic. The nozzle and needle size is compared against a nominal range. None of it measures your paint, your brush or your compressor.

The job sets an illustrative starting band. In this authored model, fine freehand lines and panel-line shading start around 10-15 psi. Primer and base coats on flat panels start around 20-30 psi. These are editorial starting points, not measured paint behaviour, and the paint and airbrush maker's instructions take precedence.
Paint choice is context, not a pressure offset. This version has no acrylic, enamel, lacquer or primer psi offsets. Its paint note points you back to the exact product's thinner, cleaner and pressure instructions; choosing a family here is not evidence that those instructions apply to the product in your cup.
The range display is a tool limit. The selector displays 8-35 psi as its own interface window. That is not a claim that every airbrush stops atomising below 8 psi or spatters above 35 psi, and it is not a safety rating. Your equipment manuals and a test spray are the authority.
The nozzle and needle size is compared against a nominal range. Common pairings treat 0.15-0.2 mm as fine-line sets and 0.3-0.5 mm as coverage sets. That is a general comparison, not a universal standard or a fit check. For parts, use the exact matched nozzle and needle listed for your model.
You get psi, bar and kPa. psi is the number this site quotes, but plenty of regulators are marked in bar or kPa, so the same range is converted for you. The conversion is arithmetic; it does not establish what pressure your equipment can hold under load.

Setting it at the bench

Read the exact product instructions first. Use the thinner, cleaner, ratio and pressure guidance the paint and airbrush makers publish for those model numbers. Do not substitute a thinner from another chemistry because the labels share a word such as "acrylic".
Check the symptom before changing the mix. Look at the tip face, the spray pattern and the trigger/needle movement. A splatter, a dry tip and air only are different observations; confirm what is actually happening before choosing a next step.
Set the pressure with air flowing. Press the trigger and let air run while you turn the regulator, then recheck under the trigger pull you actually spray with. The model's manual and the compressor's documented working range come before any gauge rule.
Prove a small test spray. Start at the low end of the illustrative band, make one change at a time and keep a short note of the paint, thinner, nozzle and gauge reading. A clean scrap pass is the evidence; the selector's number is only a starting point.

Where these numbers come from

The psi ranges on this page are authored, illustrative starting bands for scale-model airbrushing, reviewed on8 October 2026. Treat them as a starting point for your paint and compressor, then adjust from a test pass on scrap.

The 30 psi figure is this site's own general-airbrushing rule of thumb, used only as a comparison anchor. A result at or below it is not a claim that a particular compressor, tank or duty cycle will hold that pressure. Check the unit's rated working pressure and airflow, then set and test at the brush.

The nozzle and needle ranges are nominal comparisons, not a universal needle standard. Replacement parts must be the exact matched nozzle and needle listed for your airbrush model; a nearby diameter is not an adaptor or compatibility check.

What this selector does not do

It does not measure your paint. Thinner ratio, paint age and pigment load can all move the right pressure; a test spray on scrap shows you what your combination does.
It does not know your compressor's real output, your regulator's accuracy, the humidity or the room temperature. Cold and damp air change how paint behaves.
It compares nominal nozzle and needle sizes only. It cannot tell you how a specific brand marks its nozzles or how its needle taper is ground, and a nearby diameter is not a compatibility or adaptor check. Use the exact matched parts listed for your model.
It will not tell you which brand to buy, and it is not a paint compatibility or layering check — that is a separate tool on this site.

Pressure and needle questions

What psi should I spray acrylics at through an airbrush?: There is no single psi for acrylics. Acrylic is a binder family, and products, thinners and airbrush setups differ. This selector's authored job bands are 10-15 psi for fine detail lines and 15-20 psi for general coverage, but it adds no paint-family offset. Start from the paint and airbrush maker's instructions, then test on scrap and adjust; a label saying 'acrylic' is not evidence that one pressure suits every product.
Does a smaller needle need lower pressure?: It can allow a lower pressure for the same pattern, but it is not a rule you can apply without the product instructions. A small nozzle and needle set may make a narrower pattern at less air, while the paint, air cap, needle condition and technique still change the result. Use the maker's guidance for the exact set and prove it on scrap rather than assuming a pressure from the diameter.
Should I set the pressure with air flowing or at rest?: Set it the way you spray. Regulators read slightly high when the trigger is closed, so press the trigger and let air flow while you adjust, then check the gauge again mid-pass. Whatever the gauge says with air flowing is the number this tool is talking about.
Why does my airbrush splatter or spit when I lower the pressure?: A lower pressure can be too little air for that mix and setup, but it is not a universal cut-off. Check the symptom on scrap, confirm the gauge reading with air flowing and compare it with the paint and airbrush instructions. Then change one variable: a small pressure step, a small mix adjustment, or a tip-face check. If the fault remains, use the troubleshooting diagnostic; do not assume the mix is the cause.
My regulator is marked in bar. What do I set it to?: Use the bar figure in the result: the tool converts every psi range exactly, at 1 psi = 0.0689476 bar. A 15-20 psi range is about 1.03-1.38 bar. Gauges are rarely accurate to better than half a bar at the bottom of their scale, so treat the number as a starting mark and fine-tune by watching the spray.

Next steps

Pressure and needle size are the airbrush end of the setup. If the number you need is above what your unit can hold steadily, the compressor is the next thing to check.