Plastic can be painted just like any other surface.  There are various ways to go about painting plastic depending on what kind of piece you are painting.  We will list various popular plastic painting projects below and how to go about completing them.

We are going to assume that all of the following surfaces are bare plastic.  If they are painted, you can typically just paint over top of them without very much preparation.

How To Paint Plastic Switchplates

1. Prime the surface with either a spray primer such as Krylon, or Stix primer by Insl-X.
2. Top coat with your paint of choice.

Hints:  Try using either a mini roller or a foam brush to apply both the primer and the paint.  This will reduce the amount of brush marks you see.  Spray whenever possible if you have both the primer and the finish coat in a spray can.

If you are painting the switchplates the same color as your walls.  You can purchase a sprayer unit called a Preval or a Crown sprayer.  These units allow you to spray your wall paint through a spray unit for only 5 or 10 dollars.

How To Paint Plastic Furniture

1. It is very important to make sure that the furniture is completely clean and dry before priming.  Use tsp (tri sodium phospate) to clean the furniture.
2. Prime the surface with either XIM primer or Stix primer.  These are both bonding primers that are applied by brush or roller. 
3. Apply two coats of high quality latex satin or gloss finish.  Always apply two coats of paint.  This will give you more washability and longevity.

Hints:  You can apply a coat of primer with a spray can.  However, furniture typically has hard to reach places and spray cans are notorious for drips.  To get the drips out you have to sand them down.  It is usually easier to just apply the primer and paint with a brush.