Airbrush – a type of paint / dye / ink spraying mechanism which utilizes compressed air
Compressor – a machine that increases the volume of air in a container, which then allows the operator to use the pent up pressure as a propellant (like to spray and spread paint onto various surfaces)
Air tank – storage reservoir that the compressor pumps air into
CFM – short for “cubic feet per minute”
PSI – measurement of air pressure – short for “pounds per square inch”
Nebulization – the process of creating mists, usually from liquid and air mixtures.
Atomizer – the process of creating an aerosol, this can be expressed in multiple forms including as a gas, cloud, smoke, fog, mist, etc.
Spraygun – a utensil which is connected to an air compressor system which allows an operator to direct paint onto a surface. A spray gun might integrate the feed system as well as the trigger mechanism.
Trigger – the mechanism which allows air / gas to escape and mix with paint.
Tip – the end of the nozzle where paint emanates from.
Airpiston – the actual mechanism which releases the air from the valve which is controlled by the trigger.
Singleaction – a type of triggering system which features a more direct form of paint mixing scheme, not allowing for highly stylized control of a mixture without outside means.
Doubleaction – a type of triggering system which features an integrated release / paint mixture setup, allowing for more customized control over most aspects of how paint is sprayed.
Mix point – the point at which paint and escaping air is mixed.
Moisturefilter – removes water condensate from the air supply.
Internalmix – the air and paint are actually combined inside of the airbrush system, which generates a more finely tuned stream suitable for detail work, etc.
Externalmix – the air and paint are mixed in an external fashion, which generates a more crude or coarse type of blend.
Feedsystem – how the paint makes its way into the unit.
Gravityfeed – the paint reservoir is located on top of the spray gun, meaning that the paint will naturally well into the area where the air is forced, leading to the creation of finer mists.
Bottomfeed – the paint sucks up into the spray gun; typically found on units which are designed for more extensive spraying duties covering large areas.
Sidefeed – the paint enters the spray gun from the side; either left or right, depending on which type the artist prefers (related to which hand is dominant, of course).
SiphonFeed – the paint is sucked up through a tube into the area where it is mixed with air to be sprayed.
1/4inchNPT – an industry standardized size for air hose fittings.
Airvalve – the valve that you can use to physically shut off the flow of air into the hose, etc.
Auxiliarylever – used to reduce the effect of swaying motions; is typically shaped like an “S”.
Airbrush – a type of paint / dye / ink spraying mechanism which utilizes compressed air