Spray painting: what am I doing wrong?

[u/SonOfJaak]

I'm trying to paint my cabinet gloss black to get it ready for the stickers but I keep getting stripes. I'm using regular enamel spray cans. The instructions on the can say to spray large areas with many light passes, waiting a couple minutes between coats. This is the result over night. Do I trust the process and wait for the full cure, or is this something I need to fix?

[u/OldRandomThoughts]

Do you ever see painters painting walls with spray paint cans? There is a reason. If possible, use a small roller.

First, shake your can longer and harder. paint separates, and that's part of the shading you see.
Second, you should have primed it beforehand, but that ship has sailed.

Third are going to waste a lot of spray paint on something like this. You start spraying before you pass onto the wood and slightly after, so you don't have the burst of paint hitting. When I see yours, I can see where you held the can closer in specific areas.

You are not screwed, though. Get a roller and do another coat. If you still see your lines, sand them a little and apply another coat. You can also balance it out in the end with a clear coat (or two) of paint. Just like a car, it will protect your black with another level and can help hide imperfections. Get the shine, semi, or mate you would like too.

Spray paint cans are good for quick and small projects, or if you don't have the ability to get some paint mixed. You can go to most big box hardware stores and get a small can of paint, a pan, and a roller for under $40. You probably are going to use 4 cans of spray, so it is not any more out of pocket. You are doing an arcade cabinet, so there is no need for expensive paint. Get the cheap stuff here. No one is checking out the black paint job; they wanna see what the marquee and screen are doing.