What it measures: Air pressure
PSI is the unit of measurement for air pressure in airbrush systems. It tells you how hard the air is pushing — how much force per square inch of surface area.
Typical PSI ranges for airbrushing:
- 8–12 PSI: Very fine detail work, thin paint, close distances (1–2cm from surface).
- 15–20 PSI: General painting, illustration, miniature basecoats.
- 20–30 PSI: Broader coverage, thicker paints, priming, larger scale work.
- 30+ PSI: Rarely needed for airbrush. More common for automotive spray guns.
Finding your PSI: Start at 15 PSI and test spray on paper. If paint is spitting or orange-peeling, increase pressure slightly. If the spray pattern is too wide or blowing paint around, reduce pressure. Every paint/nozzle/distance combination has an optimal PSI — learn to dial it in by feel.
Related: Regulator · CFM · Compressor · Atomization