Terminology
Cap: For clarity, the “cap” refers to the piece that you push down on and the paint comes out of, not the big plastic cylinder that encases the top of the can on the shelf. That’s called the “top.”
Top: The plastic shell protecting the cap from being accidentally pressed, see above.
Tip: Another word for cap. Apparently the official term for the cap is the “actuator.”
Nozzle: This term is ambiguous; don’t use it.
Ring: Spanish Montana and Belton Molotow have rings that indicate the color of the paint, designed to stay attached with the top removed (see illustration at right for the Belton example). Generally Spanish Montana (MTN)’s rings are less likely to be lost.
Valve: The valve is the hatch that opens when you push down on the cap. There are different valve systems with properties discussed below.
Propellant: Propellant is compressed gas in the can that makes it spray. More propellant means heavier spray.
Base: The base is the liquid that carries the paint’s pigment and attaches it to the surface. A base can be water, oil, latex, alcohol, or other things. Spray paint is usually oil or latex based. Markers are often oil or alcohol based. Water-based paint is good for the environment but not good for resisting drips.
Pigment: Pigment is the ingredient that gives paint its color. It is an insoluble powder, as opposed to dyes, which are soluble liquids.
Pea: The industry term for the ball(s) inside the can that mix the paint when you shake the can. Various brands have one, two, or three in each can.
Hue: The “color” of the color (red, blue, etc)
Saturation: The “boldness” or “value” of the color, from pure color to grey.
Lightness (or brightness or intensity): The color’s position on a scale from pure light to pure dark. On a modern computer monitor or color printer, its is thought that every visible color can be defined by its hue, saturation, and lightness.
Thickness: This is a general term for how “thick” the paint seems to be. It varies by the density and cohesion of the base as well as the amount of pigment in the paint. Paints that are too thin will cover poorly and tend to drip.
Opacity: Similar to thickness, opacity is the opposite of transparency. An opaque line leaves no indication what color is underneath it, while a line with poor opacity will be tinted by the color below it. A more opaque paint can be less thick and get the same result as a less opaque paint.
