Care to share your reduction PSI ratio?

In my seriously limited experience, it seems to be more helpful for me to see how the paint sprays, understand why it's spraying that way, and then adjust everything else accordingly rather than focus on the numbers.

For example, I got a new brush this week with a 0.2 needle/nozzle setup. I mixed the paint the way I was for the 0.35 setup I had been using. At the PSI I was used to, I had to pull the trigger much further back to get it to spray. That tells me the paint is too thick. After thinning it quite a bit, the spray was more responsive, but spidered all over, so I reduced the PSI. Once the spidering stopped, the coverage was too thin. Add more paint and up the pressure and it sprayed the way I wanted it to.

As everyone else has already stated, it all depends.

I am using Wicked opaques. With the Neo CN 0.35, 1:1 or so at 25-30PSI worked well. With the H&S Infinity 0.2, 3:1 or 4:1 at around 20 PSI seems to work well. I dial it in based on how spotty the fine lines are. If the paint is being atomized properly, the lines should be consistent and not spotty. Also, if the brush spits a blob of paint when you release the trigger, the PSI is too low. Unatomized paint is building up in the nozzle and gets expelled when you stop the normal flow. At least, that's what I figure is happening. Like I said, this is all based on very limited experience.

Hope that helps!
 
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You’ve done well grasshopper!
Everyone seeks a recipe, but just like your Nanna’s sponge cake, it’s a variable recipe and done more by ‘feel’ and adjusted accordingly. You’ll soon figure out your common starting point that works most of the time where you live and will just make seasonal adjustments when it’s more humid in winter and dry in summer - unless you have a climate controlled painting area and if that’s the case then I’m not talking to you anymore :p
 
There is no magic formula, if yesterday was cool the same mixture may not work today if its warm. Each colour with varying amounts of pigment may either need drowning in reducer, or may need none. Pigments prone to tip dry need more. If you want full coverage, then less reduction and more pressure, fine detail = the opposite. The surface may allow paint to sit on the surface so could skate or blow through if pressure to high, so need low and over reduced. Absorbant surfaces will need paint blasted into the fibres, less reduction more air. Etc, etc.

Conditions/weather, paint brands/different colours within that brand, surface, style of painting, brush used, effect needed, size you're working at, all affect your ratios. And you need to adjust on the fly.
Basically what works for one may not work for another with all the variables in play.
So think opticians - make adjustments. Is that better or worse? If it's better, can it be made even better, if it's worse, back the truck up. Paint should lay down satin smooth - no grainyness, no spattering no spidering. Lines should be crisp, no skipping or spidering. More reducer = less air.
It is well worth taking the time to experiment and get a feel for it. Soon enough it becomes second nature,and you'll be adjusting for variables on the go without even realising.

My personal preference (unless spraying onto material or large areas) is generally low pressure more reduction. You may need to build more layers, but you get very minimal tip dry, more subtle blends and fades, and finer detail.
 
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