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How DO you make those Animal Costumes? (Fursuits)
Spray paint safe for wearable items? It seems to be: Yes. 
7th-Jul-2010 03:36 pm
beastcub beast fursuit

I have heard people saying that spray paint use on a fursuit is a health risk, so I contacted the 3 largest spray paint companies that I know of with this letter to be sure that using spray paint is okay before I go forward with using it instead of my noisey clunky air brush:

"Hi, I make costumes for a living and have had success using spray paint instead of an airbrush on my work. However I have had some opposition from others in the costume making community who claim that spray paint on wearable items is dangerous and claim that I would be putting my customers health at risk if I used it on commissions.

Here are examples of costumes I colored with spray paint, as you can see these items include those worn on the face

I fail to see how dry spray paint on a costume is of any risk to my customers (correct me if I am wrong) especially when it no longer smells like paint (are the residual fumes that linger for up to a month dangerous?) I can see how spraying the inside of the mouth of a mask or the full inside of a mask could be harmful because it would concentrate any residual fumes inside an area that already has limited ventilation (and that is why I would not use it in said areas) but I do not see how a layer of paint on the outside of the costume can cause any harm.

I am hoping to get some sort of official response on the matter of if spray paint is or is not a health risk when used on a wearable item, a response that I can then share with the costume communities I am part of. If spray paint is in fact a risk then I will cease using it.

 (PS. I do understand it is risky to apply and I have a proper respirator)"


"Once our paints are dry and the smell has gone away, they are considered not toxic. The solvent smell that hangs around un till they dry can be hazardous in large quantities, but you can smell them at a level that's about 1% of the dangerous concentration. So if you can't smell them, the solvents aren't a danger.

Our paints all meet the Consumer Protection Improvement Act (CPSIA) specs, which were written for materials used in children's toys and furniture. To get a copy of the certificate for the paint you use, get the batch code off of the bottom of the can and go to our website. On the homepage; click on ABOUT RUST-OLEUM. On the new page, click on Certificate of Compliance. Determine which plant the paint was made in based on the batch code and you can download the certificate for that plant.


Thank you for contacting the Krylon website.

Currently Krylon does not manufacture a paint or clear finish that is FDA approved. An FDA approval is important in terms of whether a product film is safe for incidental ingestion.

We do not perform animal testing for ingestion.

The Krylon paint coatings are fully cured in 20-30 days. Once cured, the paint film is considered inert. For additional information on chemicals that are considered harmful, MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) are available upon request.Your physician may use this information to evaluate any personal health concerns.

Thanks again for your inquiry. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns.


Received your message and Thank you for your interest in Plasti-Kote and VALSPAR Paints.
Once fully cured and dry, paint coatings will no longer emit any voc’s, while direct skin contact is never recommended, your application is safe.  To ensure a full cure, make sure to follow all temperature and re-coating guidelines. Waiting for one full week will help to ensure that all evaporative components have left the film.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions and Thank You again, for choosing VALSPAR.

The summary:

Spray paint is not toxic once fully cured and no longer smells.

 If you use it it is best to have the item painted at least a week in advance to delivery to be sure the smell is gone, a month in advance would be better. Even if it does smell a bit you can still smell it at 1% of what is considered toxic. (which to me sounds similar to how one risks ingesting mercury every time they eat fish)

In the case of Rustoleum their paints have been tested and considered safe even for use on child items which have strict guidelines because kids put things in their mouth, which to me means that it is by all means safe to have on the outside of a costume.

So, is it safe? I think so.

The use of spray paint has it's pros and cons. Spray paint is silent compared to an air brush and is easy to take with you anywhere VS being tethered to a noisy air compressor, spray paint also lacks the cleanup time an airbrush unit has and does not clog like an airbrush.
It is more risky for the artist to apply but as long as you have a proper respirator with filters for organic vapors you cut out the majority of the risk (you are also supposed to avoid skin contact with wet spray paint)
For me it is actually not saving any money to use spray paint since I already have an airbrush unit that cost me well over $200 but I find the convenience alluring enough to start phasing out my air brush in exchange for spray paint (with the exception of coloring the mouth, when spray paint cannot get a fine enough line, or I cannot find the right color spray paint)  but for those who cannot afford an airbrush a $5 can of paint is a great alternative. 
I also think that spray paint may prove to be more fade resistant since it is meant for outdoor use.
Another plus would be that ones customer can touch up their own costume if they feel up to the task because chances are they can find the exact same paint in their area.
Now, I know spray paint is an item that is not widely used and that there has been safety concerns, and I do hope that I do not get any backlash from this post... However spray glues have been widely used in fursuit use and are also toxic before they cure, and I have heard one person say they have to leave their sprayed heads in the attic for like a month to outgas before they can continue working on them.
   From what I can tell fursuit makers do regularly use things like shoe goo, plastidip, rubber cement, and spray glue, which are also toxic during the application process and before they cure, and to me spray paint easily falls alongside the use of these products which are equally risky...


8th-Jul-2010 09:57 pm (UTC)
Dude, you're a lifesaver xD I've been bothered by the new spray pattern too, made quite a mess the first time I used the new cans! Now I feel awfully silly.
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