'Airless' means that no air from a compressor is used to create the spray pattern or paint stream that is emitted from the nozzle of a spray gun. Instead purpose designed high pressure pumps are used to force the paint out of a very small spray tip. This method of spraying allows for a high volume output of paint that doesn't need to be thinned and enables professional house painters to do in a day what in the past may have taken as much as four days with a brush and roller. Because no air is mixed with the paint, there is much less over-spray (paint fog), which makes this a much more operator and environment friendly spraying process. Most electric and petrol (gas) powered sprayers are capable of 3,000psi operating pressure with Wagner diaphragm pumps going as high as 3,625psi. Pneumatic air powered pumps are capable of pressures up to about 8,000psi.

Airless paint spray pumps are used to paint new houses, factories and fences, restore roofs of houses, for line marking of roads and car parks, equipment and machinery, steel structures and anti fouling the hulls of ships. In fact the uses are endless. Included here are photos of just some of the many uses of airless paint sprayers.

The equipment consists of three parts. The pump which draws in the paint and pressurizes it. The hose and the gun assembly.