How to Cut in Paint Edges with a Brush

Paint nice clean line the along the edges of your wall, casing, and trim by using a cutting in brush. 

What Is The Best Paint Brush For Edging?

A sash paint brush, like the one used in the video above. To give you more control, wet the bristles before loading up the brush with paint. This helps the paint adhere to the bristles more evenly.

How Easy Is Cutting in Paint?

Even though learning the right technique will help you do this easily, it will still require some practice and patience.

Edging with a Brush in 11 Steps:

1. Plunge a new paintbrush into a bucket of clean water. Then attach the paintbrush to a spin dryer.
2. Hold the wet brush inside a clean, dry bucket and slowly spin out the excess water. When done, the bristles should be damp, but not wet.
3. Dip the paintbrush into the paint, loading paint onto about two-thirds of the bristles.
4. Apply a vertical stripe of paint parallel to the door casing, but about 1 inch away from the casing.
5. Push down on the brush to flare out the bristles, and draw the paint right along the edge of the casing.
6. Stop, when necessary, and grab more paint from the vertical stripe and continue to paint alongside the casing.
7. If you plan to paint the casings after painting the walls, then allow the cut-in paint to overlap slightly onto the edge of the casing.
8. When the paint starts to dry along the upper portion of the paintbrush, stop and wash the bristles in clean water. Then spin the bristles dry and continue cutting in painting.
9. If painting the baseboards after painting the walls, then allow the cut-in paint to overlap slightly onto the top edge of the baseboard.
10. If the baseboard is already painted, protect them with painter’s tape before cutting in along the bottom of the wall.
11. To remove wet paint drips, wrap a cotton cloth tightly around the end of a 5-in-1 painter’s tool. Then carefully scrape off the wet paint drip.

Tools and Materials You’ll Need