It depends on the look. For a frosted, mirror or stained-glass effect, use a spray made for glass, such as Rust-Oleum Frosted Glass or Krylon Looking Glass; FolkArt Enamels is a brush-on glass paint you bake. For solid color, Krylon Fusion All-In-One and several bonding primers name glass. On tightly fitted glass, Sherwin-Williams’ Extreme Bond data sheet warns that opaque paint heats the glass and can make it shatter.
Glass effect sprays
| Product | Glass line | Effect | Where | Dry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rust-Oleum Frosted Glass | “Apply to interior side of windows and glass doors.” | Frost that “obscures vision but lets light shine through” | “Indoor use only”; not the inside of a shower door | Dries completely in 5 to 10 minutes; recoat any time |
| Rust-Oleum Mirror Effect | “Apply to the reverse or opposite side of glass.” | Mirror | Interior surfaces only | Dries in 5 to 10 minutes; up to 5 coats |
| Krylon Frosted Glass | “adds privacy to glass windows and doors” | Frost | Interior only | Touch in 30 minutes |
| Krylon Looking Glass | “just spray on reverse side of glass” | Mirror-like | Interior | Touch in 15 minutes |
| Krylon Stained Glass | “Translucent paint for glass” | Tint | “For indoor decorating,” yet its details say Interior/Exterior | Touch in 30 minutes; handle in 24 hours |
| Krylon Sea Glass | “Semi-translucent, frosted finish” | Frosted tint | Interior | Touch in 5 minutes |
From each product’s data sheet or page. Rust-Oleum’s Frosted Glass data sheet says not to use it where there is repeated water contact, such as the inside of a shower door, and not to put frosted items in the dishwasher; clean them with glass cleaner or by hand. To take the frost off, it says to use lacquer thinner or acetone.
Paint you bake on: FolkArt Enamels
Plaid’s FolkArt Enamels page says it is “Specifically designed for glass and glazed ceramics.” Clean the glass with alcohol first and let each coat dry an hour. To cure it, Plaid says to air dry for 1 hour, put the piece in a cool oven, heat to 350 degrees, bake for 30 minutes, and let it cool in the oven. Once bake-cured, it says, the glass is “top-shelf dishwasher safe.”
The page doesn’t say the paint is safe for contact with food, so we’d keep it off rims and anywhere food or lips touch.
Solid color: paints and primers that name glass
| Product | Glass line | Type | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krylon Fusion All-In-One | “Glass” in its “FOR USE ON” list | Paint and primer in one | Interior/Exterior |
| Krylon Bonding Primer with Fusion Technology | “Glass” in its “FOR USE ON” list | Primer | Interior and exterior |
| Zinsser B-I-N (aerosol) | “It sticks to ceramic tile, glass, metal, plastic and hardboard.” | Shellac primer | “FOR INTERIOR USE ONLY” |
| Zinsser B-I-N Advanced | “laminates, glass and ceramic tile” | Primer | Indoors |
| Zinsser BONDZ | “glass” | Bonding primer | Inside and out |
| Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 (brush) | “glass” on its data sheet (its label leaves glass out) | Primer | Interior and exterior surfaces |
| Zinsser SmartPrime | “adheres to wood, plaster, concrete, gloss enamels, hardboard, glass and tile” | Primer | Indoor and outdoor |
| Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond | “Apply Extreme Bond directly to glass that has been thoroughly cleaned.” | Bonding primer | Interior-exterior |
| Benjamin Moore INSL-X Stix | “glass” | Bonding primer | Interior or exterior |
| KILZ Adhesion | “Glass” in its list of hard-to-paint surfaces | Bonding primer | Interior and exterior |
| BEHR Bonding Primer No. 432 | “Ideal for Kynar®, PVC, vinyl, Formica®, glass, tile” | Bonding primer | Interior or exterior |
Each line is from that product’s own data sheet, label or page. The brush can of B-I-N Shellac-Base Primer doesn’t name glass; its aerosol does.
Krylon’s FAQ says “most Krylon spray paints adhere to glass,” but suggests its glass products for frosted or mirrored looks. For paint on glass it says to lightly sand with fine-grain sandpaper, wipe with a tack cloth, and prime, noting the glass will become opaque.
Sherwin-Williams’ Extreme Bond data sheet: “CAUTION: Any opaque coating will block light, which then causes an increase in the surface temperature of the glass. Dark colors will get hotter than light colors. In tightly fitted glass, any increase in the temperature of the glass will cause some expansion of the glass, which may cause it to shatter.” We wouldn’t put any solid, opaque paint on glass fitted tightly in a window or door frame, and dark colors least of all.
Rust-Oleum’s Frosted Glass SDS lists “H351” (suspected of causing cancer) and “P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.” Krylon’s Frosted Glass Finish SDS: “Extremely flammable aerosol. Pressurized container: may burst if heated.”
KILZ Adhesion’s data sheet says “WARNING IRRITANT HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED,” that it may cause eye, nose and throat irritation, and to use it only with adequate ventilation. BEHR’s Bonding Primer No. 432 label says “WARNING! IRRITANT! HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED,” and to wear eye protection and protective clothing and use it only with adequate ventilation.