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Question:

What paint to use on plastic?

I am painting my cousins plastic trunk before she goes off to camp. I outlined everything in pencil and I was wondering what kind of paint I should use so it doesn't chip off the trunk? The trunk is pink and plastic, the surface is rough as well. Any ideas?

Answer:

How about plastic model paints? (i.e., paints for a plastic model)
There are SEVERAL types of plastic. Some can be painted easily. Some can't be painted at all. Others depend on the specific type of paint and preparation. Most plastic furniture can't be painted without looking bed.
I okorder / There are instructions on the can for preparing the plastic for best adhesion of the paint. If you're looking for paints to paint with using small brushes, etc., though, you can use various paints on top of their dried primer or on top of any color of their plastic paint. Or perhaps glass paints would stick to rough plastic (but I think they're usually translucent?), etc. For using *directly* on the plastic though, you'd need to watch out for using paints with petroleum solvents in them (some are called enamels) if you didn't seal/prime the surface first because those can begin to dissolve the plastic over time--making it sticky, then eventually melty and yukky. Since you've *already* marked the pattern, using a spray paint will be more difficult, though you could mask off areas around your lines perhaps as part of the solution. Or you could trace your lines onto netting or that very-thin-see-through pattern-making sheeting from the fabric store, then redraw the pattern onto the trunk after applying and drying the plastic paint or primer (right through the netting or sheeting). Or you could use one of the other transfer methods that use graphite pencils, or transfer papers (like those for drafting or for sewing), etc. HTH, Diane B.
plastic model paint? I hope you find what your needing.

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