A blackboard spray turns a smooth board, door or cabinet front into a surface you can write on with chalk and wipe clean. Pintyplus Blackboard Paint is a matte black spray that you apply in at least two thin coats, then leave for at least 48 hours before the first chalk touches it. It suits kitchen doors, children’s rooms, classroom boards and cafe menu boards. For the neatest result on a wall, paint a smooth sheet of MDF or plywood and fix it up, rather than spraying rough plaster.
The short version
- Product: Pintyplus Blackboard Paint Spray, matte black, 400 ml
- Surfaces: wood, metal, cardboard, cloth, stone, fibreglass and rigid plastic
- Primer: needed on metal and plastic
- Coats: at least two, recoated within 1 hour or after 48 hours
- Chalk: wait at least 48 hours before writing on it
- Cleaning: wipe chalk off with a damp sponge or cloth
Where does a chalkboard surface work?
Pintyplus lists wood, metal, cardboard, cloth, stone, fibreglass and rigid plastic. That opens up a lot of everyday uses:
- A kitchen cupboard door or a panel beside the fridge for shopping lists and notes
- A strip along a children’s bedroom or study wall, on a board, so they can draw without drawing on the walls
- Classroom boards in schools and tuition centres, and old blackboards that have gone grey and shiny
- Cafe and restaurant menu boards, specials boards and counter signs
- Shop price boards, event signs and small A-frame boards
- Craft projects on cardboard, tins and wooden plaques
Can you spray a whole wall?
You can spray a smooth, sound wall, but walls are where most chalkboard jobs go wrong. Rough plaster makes a bumpy writing surface, and chalk dust gets trapped in the texture. Paint that is flaking underneath will lift. Plaster isn’t on the Pintyplus list, so test a small area first.
The cleaner way, especially in schools and cafes, is to cut a sheet of MDF or plywood to size, spray it flat on a table where coats go on evenly, let it cure, and then fix it to the wall. You get a smooth writing surface, clean edges, and you can take it down and redo it later.
Do you need a primer first?
On metal and plastic, yes. Our product page says metal and plastic require the appropriate primer. For plastic, use Pintyplus Plastic Primer Spray. For metal and for porous or patchy wood, Pintyplus Universal Primer is listed for metal, wood, melamine and plaster. On clean, smooth, bare wood or MDF, the blackboard paint can go straight on.
How do you apply blackboard spray, step by step?
1. Prepare the surface
Sand any rough areas smooth, then clean off dust and grease. The surface must be clean and dry. The smoother the surface, the better the chalk writes.
2. Mask the edges
Tape a neat border and cover anything nearby. If you are doing a cupboard door, take it off and lay it flat.
3. Shake the can
Shake for one minute after you hear the mixing balls.
4. Spray thin coats, fast
Hold the can 25 to 30 cm from the surface and apply quick, thin layers, first horizontally and then vertically. Pintyplus recommends a minimum of two layers.
5. Time your second coat
Pintyplus gives a recoat window of within 1 hour or after 48 hours. The easiest approach is to put the second coat on within the hour, while the first is touch dry.
6. Leave it for 48 hours
It is touch dry in about an hour and dry in about four, but don’t write on it yet. Pintyplus says to wait 48 hours before using chalk. Chalk on paint that hasn’t cured scratches and marks it.
7. Clear the nozzle
Turn the can upside down and spray until only gas comes out. Work in a ventilated place and keep the spray away from anything connected to the electricity supply.
How do you look after a chalkboard surface?
Before the first use, rub the side of a stick of chalk over the whole board and wipe it off. This fills the fine texture and helps stop the first words you write from leaving a ghost mark.
For daily cleaning, a dry duster removes most chalk. When dust builds up, wipe it with a damp sponge or cloth, as Pintyplus recommends, and let it dry before writing again. Avoid scouring pads and strong cleaners, which wear the matte surface.
If you want to use liquid chalk markers on a cafe menu board, test them on a corner first, because some markers are hard to wipe off a porous chalkboard finish.
What works in schools, cafes and homes in Pakistan?
In schools, refreshing a tired blackboard with a couple of new coats is a cheap way to make writing readable again from the back of the class. Do it in the holidays so the 48-hour wait doesn’t get in the way. For charts and flashcards without pins, a magnetic paint panel sits well next to a blackboard.
In cafes, a menu board on MDF can be taken down and redone without closing the shop. In homes, a kitchen door or a board in a child’s room gives them a place to draw that isn’t the wall. In humid monsoon weather, allow extra time between coats and before the first use.
Common questions
How much does one can cover?
Pintyplus rates it at 2 m² per can for one coat. With two coats, one can covers about 1 m², enough for a kitchen door or a small menu board.
Can I paint over an old blackboard?
Yes, if it is clean and sound. Wash off chalk dust and grease, let it dry, and apply two thin coats.
Can children use it straight away?
No. Wait the full 48 hours before any chalk goes on it.
Can I use it on a glass or whiteboard?
Glass isn’t on the Pintyplus list. Stick to the listed surfaces, or test first.
Where to buy in Lahore and across Pakistan
Pintyplus Blackboard Paint Spray is ₨ 3,250 for a 400 ml can. You can pick it up from our shop at Sohail Centre, LG 8, Dil Muhammad Road, Garhi Shahu, Lahore, Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 10:00 PM, or order online for delivery anywhere in Pakistan.
Not sure which one you need? Send a photo on WhatsApp to 0321 999 3919 and we’ll tell you.