I thought I would share some painting tips for our wooden wall letters. These tips are mainly for wooden letters. If I was painting cabinets or other furniture made out of MDF I would use a different technique and supplies.
Some sites recommend using oil based primer and paints for MDF but since these are going in a nursery I like to use acrylic craft paint, you can find this at your local craft store.
1. Sanding. Our wooden wall letters are lightly sanded when we ship them to you. If you would like very smooth edges, or in case i missed a spot, you can sand the letters with 150 grit sand paper. The top of the letters are very smooth so you can skip this area. When you have finished sanding remove the dust with a rag, do not use a damp rag, mdf and water does not mix.
2. Primer. Some people will add a coat of primer to their letters before painting. This step is optional, my wife gets very good results without adding primer but it takes more coats of paint. I have had good results using a sealer, I found it with the craft paints at our local craft store. After applying the primer or sealer you will want to lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper. Again clean the dust off of the letters before proceeding.
3. Paint. To get a nice finish use a foam brush or foam roller. This will elminate any brush strokes from showing up in your paint. I personally like to use the foam roller, I believe its about 3-4 inches wide. You can find these at you local hardware or craft store. If you skipped the primer/sealer step above you may need to apply extra coats, the edges soak up a lot of paint.
4. Gloss. Non-glossy paint seems to adhere better to itself when applying multiple coats but if you want a glossy finish you can apply a clear gloss to your painted letters.
Hope these tips help you when you are painting your wooden wall letters.
