Compressors for Airbrushing

By Don Johnson

www.airbrushartistmagazine.com
www.airbrushtechniquemagazine.com

On the AIRBRUSH COMPRESSORS page we went over some of the terms relating to compressors used for airbrushing here we will actually take a look at the different compressors.

Before buying a compressor for airbrushing a little reach before you purchase will go a long way to your making a better decision when making your purchase. On my CONSUMER AIRBRUSH PRODUCT REVIEW you will find reviews submitted by the folks who actually use the compressors. Read first hand what other artist have to say about compressors they have used in their airbrushing experiences.

Your airbrush doesn't know what where the air comes from so any compressor will work for airbrushing; not only the ones marketed to the airbrushing community. The biggest factor is getting a compressor that will accomplish what you need it to; provide you with a steady, dry source of air at the correct PSI.

Several factors come into play when figuring out what PSI will be required to airbrush your chosen surface.

1) Type of paint you will be using. In very simple terms paint that is thinner requires less PSI to use tn your airbrush than paint that is thick. The correct term is viscosity actually but we'll go with thin and thick. An example of thin paint would be Comart, DR PH martins, Golden Airbrush Colors, House of Kolor. These require less PSI to be used properly in your airbrush; 10 to 20 PSI generally speaking. Examples of thick paint might be Createx, textile airbrush colors, Auto Air. These require a higher PSI to be used properly in your airbrush; generally speaking 40 PSI to 60 PSI. Airbrush paint is discussed with on this page AIRBRUSH PAINT

2) Type of airbrush you will be using. Airbrushes with floating nozzles, big needles like the Paasche VL will require more PSI than a small, screw in type nozzle like the Iwata HP-CH. Each type of airbrush has its use and I won't deal with that here as it's covered on the AIRBRUSHES page on this web site. Be aware thou that a Passche VL spraying textile colors would require a larger compressor than say a Iwata HP-CH spraying Comart illustration paint.

Other considerations:
Is a noisy compressor acceptable to use in your case, would it hinder your ability to airbrush in other words. If you have a studio in your home or apartment a noisy compressor might not be the way to go. If you have a shop or studio outside your home, apartment a noisy compressor might work out well for you.
How much money do you have to spend is always part of the mix when purchasing art supplies, equipment. That's why it's so important to do your home work now before you make a buying decision, spend your money wisely.

Most compressors marketed toward the airbrush community are rated for specific use by the manufacture, be sure to read those recommendations before you purchase a compressor.

Pictured above is a Paasche D500 airbrush compressor. This is oil-less diaphragm type compressor; this type compressor does not supply a good steady flow of air but rather a pulsing air flow. Use gravity feed airbrush with very thin paint for best results with this type compressor.

This is an oil less piston type airbrush compressor which is great for use with thin (low viscosity) type paints such as Comart, Golden Airbrush Colors and a fixed nozzle, gravity feed airbrush. This set up will not work well with say an airbrush like the Paasche VL and textile colors.

Here we have an oil less piston type airbrush compressor with a metal case, a suite case style airbrush compressor. These are great for in home or apt. studios to be used with thin paints (low viscosity). Very quite running if that is one of your requirements you might want to give these style compressors a look. Again it will not work well for high viscosity paints such as textile colors with a floating nozzle.

Here we have a half horse power compressor that runs very quite made by Silent Air for the airbrushing market. This size compressor will do limited T Shirt production, provides the PSI required for using textile colors. It will not provide enough air for base coating or clear coating but would work great to the art work. Silent Air makes larger models which will provide enough air for base coating/clear coating.

Pictured above is the Great White airbrush compressor which I personally used for years in my Mall T Shirt shop. It will run two to three airbrushes at the same time using textile colors with very little problem. These type compressors use a refrigerator type compressor and are very quite.

Finally we have the type of compressor you buy at Home Depot, Lowes or Sears. These will work fine as long as you have a regulator and filter attached. The draw back is they are noisy and before you purchase one ask to hear it run so you know just how noisy they are. One good point is with a big air storage tank as pictured the compressor should not run often when using it for most airbrush applications. A diagram for setting your compressor up with a filter and regulator can be found on the AIRBRUSH COMPRESSOR page.


Hopefully you now are a little more educated on compressors that can be used for airbrush applications and this will help you make an informed buying decision.