<p>As long as the underlying panel will not flex, yes, you can use normal acrylic paints, but a primer is required, and the recommended method is to fine sand the plexiglass to a slight roughness, then cover with primer.</p>

<p>Acrylic polymer varnish is ideally suited to varnishing over acrylic paint, and I'm pretty certain you can use other varnishes.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-06T17:27:59.973Z
2016-06-06T17:27:59.973Z
Rory Alsop
<p>Painting on a plexi surface can be challenging! I'd clean with alcohol to prep.
I'm not a big user of acrylcs but I do know there are quality gradations and I suspect the higher the quality the better the bonding.  Were I in your shoes I'd ask or go buy price.</p>

<p>Understand that static electricity may play one of those challenging roles.  To combat it, keep a moist/damp rag or paper towel in touch with the plexi sheet. Another problem will be the susceptibility to scratching.  To protect your work a sheet of clear plexi would, in my opinion, be better than a clear spray.  Still, if a clear varnish like cover is what you want, clear spray acrylic, should be available where you buy your paint.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T19:45:14.020Z
2017-07-18T19:45:14.020Z
Ace
<p>I would like to paint acrylic sheet (Plexiglass) with acrylic paint.  Both the sheet and the paint are opaque (black or white); single color all over.  </p>

<ul>
<li><p>What kinds of paint should I use? What kinds of paint should I avoid?
Are all acrylic paints created equal? My local home improvement store
carries acrylic paint, and they can make a variety of colors on the
spot; would that paint work?</p></li>
<li><p>How to prepare surface? Do I need to apply primer first?  If so, what
kind of primer?</p></li>
<li><p>What can I use as varnish on top of the paint?</p></li>
</ul>

<p>To put this question into perspective, painting is only the 1st stage of the process.  In the 2nd stage, I will burn off the paint with a laser.  So, if I've got black acrylic with white paint, and I ablate the paint selectively, then I will have black details on white background.  (This is not unlike <a href="http://www.rowmark.com/laser/LaserMAX/lasermax.asp" rel="nofollow">LaserMax</a> sheets.)</p>

<p>I know how to do the laser.  I don't know how to do the paint.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-03T23:27:39.073Z
What location are the sheets going to end up? External or internal? Do anticipate a protective layer once the lasering is complete?
BeaglesEnd
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-03T23:31:56.940Z
@BeaglesEnd  Indoor location (front panel of an electronic device, for example).  I would like to to add a protective layer after laser engraving, if I can figure out what kind of varnish to use for that.
Nick Alexeev
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-06T14:15:52.870Z
The other key question: are you expecting the plexiglass to flex? If it does, then you will get cracks.
Rory Alsop
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-06T16:09:46.720Z
@Rory  The Plexiglass panel will be flat at all time.  It will not flex.  It will not carry mechanical loads.
Nick Alexeev
<paint><plastic><surface-preparation><acrylic-glass>
Materials and procedures for painting acrylic (Plexiglass) sheet
Nick Alexeev
# Materials and procedures for painting acrylic (Plexiglass) sheet

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-03)

I would like to paint acrylic sheet (Plexiglass) with acrylic paint. Both the sheet and the paint are opaque (black or white); single color all over.

* What kinds of paint should I use? What kinds of paint should I avoid?
  Are all acrylic paints created equal? My local home improvement store
  carries acrylic paint, and they can make a variety of colors on the
  spot; would that paint work?
* How to prepare surface? Do I need to apply primer first? If so, what
  kind of primer?
* What can I use as varnish on top of the paint?

To put this question into perspective, painting is only the 1st stage of the process. In the 2nd stage, I will burn off the paint with a laser. So, if I've got black acrylic with white paint, and I ablate the paint selectively, then I will have black details on white background. (This is not unlike [LaserMax](http://www.rowmark.com/laser/LaserMAX/lasermax.asp) sheets.)

I know how to do the laser. I don't know how to do the paint.

**Tags:** paint, plastic, surface-preparation, acrylic-glass

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What location are the sheets going to end up? External or internal? Do anticipate a protective layer once the lasering is complete?  
> **username_0**: @username_1  Indoor location (front panel of an electronic device, for example).  I would like to to add a protective layer after laser engraving, if I can figure out what kind of varnish to use for that.  
> **username_2**: The other key question: are you expecting the plexiglass to flex? If it does, then you will get cracks.  
> **username_0**: @Rory  The Plexiglass panel will be flat at all time.  It will not flex.  It will not carry mechanical loads.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-06-06. Score: 1

As long as the underlying panel will not flex, yes, you can use normal acrylic paints, but a primer is required, and the recommended method is to fine sand the plexiglass to a slight roughness, then cover with primer.

Acrylic polymer varnish is ideally suited to varnishing over acrylic paint, and I'm pretty certain you can use other varnishes.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-07-18. Score: 0

Painting on a plexi surface can be challenging! I'd clean with alcohol to prep.
I'm not a big user of acrylcs but I do know there are quality gradations and I suspect the higher the quality the better the bonding. Were I in your shoes I'd ask or go buy price.

Understand that static electricity may play one of those challenging roles. To combat it, keep a moist/damp rag or paper towel in touch with the plexi sheet. Another problem will be the susceptibility to scratching. To protect your work a sheet of clear plexi would, in my opinion, be better than a clear spray. Still, if a clear varnish like cover is what you want, clear spray acrylic, should be available where you buy your paint.


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