A Complete Guide to Spray Paint Caps for Graffiti

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2. Skinny Caps

Skinny caps are one of the most popular types of spray paint caps.

You’ll find that skinny caps come stocked on most low-pressure premium paints like Montana Gold, MTN 94 and Loop.

They’re one of the most versatile caps as experienced aerosol artists can manipulate these to produce both very fine lines all the way to skinny-medium lines.

For beginner graffiti artists, skinny caps are one of the best caps for learning how to control a can and for improving linework. Although this will depend on the graffiti style they’re going for.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular skinny caps:

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3. Medium Caps

Medium caps sit between skinny and fat caps.

They’re able to produce both thin lines and medium lines, depending on how far they’re sprayed from the wall.

It’s also where we begin to see soft cap effects, for example on the Montana Level 3 and Molotow Blue Dot listed below.

Soft caps produce a softer, more dusty line which makes them great for fading or producing softer details with less sharpness.

Here are a few popular medium caps:

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4. Fat Caps

Along with skinny caps, fat caps are another very common type of spray paint cap.

They’re used to fill in large areas and to create fat lines and flares. Although with good can control, skilled artists can also achieve thin lines with fat caps.

The NY Fat Cap is easily the most iconic of all fat caps. It gets its name from the birthplace of graffiti and is the go-to cap for graffiti writers that need fat lines.

Because fat caps have high paint output, be warned that they can drain the contents of a spray can very quickly. This means they’re not great for being economical with paint.

If painting quickly is your style though, then these are the caps you need:

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5. Super Fat Caps

Super fat caps are like fat caps but on steroids.

Although they’re some of the hardest caps to control, they’re great for filling in huge areas where achieving perfect lines isn’t an issue. Think filling in huge silver chrome graffiti pieces or painting murals that take up the whole wall.

Just like fat caps, super fat caps will drain your spray can fast. So be careful with these if you’re running low and need to preserve paint.

Compared to other sized caps, there’s not a huge number of super fat caps out there as they have more limited use.

Nonetheless, here are a few popular super fat caps you can easily find online:

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6. Special Caps

Special caps have unique qualities to the other caps we’ve looked at so far as they allow artists to achieve specific effects or have unconventional uses.

They’re usually aimed at a specific style of graffiti or art, so the everyday aerosol artist might not come across these too often.

It’s definitely worth giving them a try if you have the chance, though. Here are a few popular special caps:

What are spray paint caps?

Spray paint caps (also known as nozzles and nibs) are small plastic tips that attach to the top of spray paint cans. Once pressed, caps release pressure from a spray can through the valve and fire out the paint.

Spray paint caps come in many different shapes, sizes and colours. For artists, they’re best thought of as similar to paintbrushes. Different caps allow for different effects like fine lines and thick lines – just like different-sized paintbrushes.

It’s important that artists use the right caps because they can impact the outcome of their work.

For example, an artist painting complex details on a small canvas would need a cap that sprays a skinny line. Whereas a graffiti artist who wants to paint a big piece quickly will need a fat cap for maximum coverage.

Most professional spray paints for art come with caps installed on them. However, they may not always be the size the artist needs, so they’ll sometimes need to swap them out for a different cap.

What spray paint cap should I use?

The type of cap you should use depends entirely on your style of art.

For arts and crafts hobbyists painting things like a small canvas or small figurines, super skinny to skinny caps will work perfectly.

If you’re painting the background of a big canvas or painting bigger objects, a medium or fat cap might be better.

Street artists and muralists may choose to use every type of spray paint cap depending on their art style. Although as a rule of thumb, fat caps are best for painting large areas.

Graffiti writers may also choose any cap depending on their style. But if they want to be quick whilst still being able to go big and bold, fat or super fat caps are the best to use.

The best way to find your perfect cap is by trying out different sizes. We’d recommend picking up something like the Montana Tryout Cap Set so you can test some of the most popular caps out.

Can spray paint caps be reused?

Yes, caps can be reused. But they can also get clogged with paint easily, especially without proper care. Here are a few tips to get the most uses out of your spray paint caps:

• Always spray out your cans after use. Do this by turning the can upside down and spraying it until no more paint comes out. This not only unclogs the cans valve so it can be used later but also unclogs the cap so it can be used again.

• Use a cap cleaner spray. A cap cleaner like the Montana Acetone Spray can be used to unclog spray paint caps. Just fit the clogged cap onto the acetone can and spray until it runs clear. Easy.

• Soak clogged caps in acetone. Soaking clogged caps in acetone for between 3 – 6 hours (or overnight for best results) can unblock them. To do this, put the clogged caps in a small glass jar and fill it with a cheap 100% acetone solution like nail polish remover. Completely submerge the caps in the solution until the paint has been removed.

Got a favourite cap or an expert tip to keep your caps fresh? Drop a comment and let me know.