All You Need To Know To Have A Painted Ping Pong Table

You have just purchased a ping pong table but don’t like its color? You want to repaint your table? Don’t know how to do it?

We got your back! In this post, we will show you all you need to know to have a perfect painted ping pong table right below.

What Type Of Paint Is Used For A Painted Ping Pong Table

There are two famous paints used for covering the top of ping-pong tables, which are alkyd paint or lacquer-based paint.

Alkyd Paint

Alkyd paint is well-known for its use of painting the surface of chalkboards in schools. However, this type of paint also does a really good job in giving the desired finish of a Ping-Pong table’s top.

The alkyd paint component contains a strong resin binder, which will help it be resistant to damage, abrasion, and moisture. Plus, with the resin binder, alkyd paint can retain the sheen longer than other paint types. 

People use this paint to coat a plastic, particleboard, metal, fiberglass, or wooden Ping-Pong table surfaces. You will find alkyd paint sold in many Ping-Pong supplies retailers or home improvement stores under various brand names. 

Alkyd paint is usually for indoor ping-pong tables as it has the ability to resist the moisture and humidity of the indoor environment. 

Lacquer-based paint

A lacquer-based paint is also a type of paint commonly used for coating Ping-Pong table surfaces. It can produce a durable, damage-resistant, and waterproof finish when dried.

You can apply it to various surfaces like wood and metal. This paint can also provide you the table’s top in different colors or even in a clear finish.

The lacquer-based paint is commonly used for outdoor ping pong tables to help keep the color and protect against sun damage. 

What Should Table Tennis Table Top Paint Have To Be ITTF Approved

Colors Approval

According to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the ping pong table can be made of high quality material. Yet, its finish must be “uniformly dark and matte, but with a white sideline.” Plus, that color has to have the lightness L in the CIELAB system no more than 40%.

Therefore, when choosing the paint color for the top of your table tennis table, you have to choose a cool tone with a lot of black inside. Here are some recommendation by the professionals and ITTF for the best paints for ping pong tables: 

• Alkyd paint in the color black 171: Professional players highly recommend this color as it offers a gorgeous matte finish to the table.

• Alkyd paint in the color blue 1744: The paint has a unique formula that can provide a non-glare property to the table.

• The Sheffield 5685 Chalkboard and Table Tennis Finish paint: It can be a great option for you if you don’t want your table tennis to be black or blue.

Does Not Create Paint Ripples Or Paint Residue

When painting the ping pong table’s surface, it is essential to keep it uniform and smooth. Why? Because if there are any paint ripples or paint residue available on the surface, it may affect the ball’s bouncing and lead to some unfair results while battling. 

Therefore, the surface should be applied with a roller, spraying, or similar to prevent brush marks and give a consistent result.

Moreover, to avoid ingrained dust, painting a ping pong table’s top also has to be done in a clean environment.

No Glare When Illuminated

Apart from giving the matte surface, the paint also has to have “a degree of gloss not more than 15 (60° specular gloss, ASTM procedure D 523) and a low haze-gloss”.

Plus, the result shouldn’t be so reflective that a light source’s shape can be seen on it as a reflection.

How To Paint Table Tennis Table Top By Yourself

Step 1:

The first step to get your table ready is safely remove the net from the table so that the paint won’t ruin your net. You can store it elsewhere or and put it back on the table once done.

Step 2:

After having removed the net, it’s now time to clean your ping pong table surface. This step is crucial as it can help you get rid of any mess or dust particles that may affect your ping pong table’s finish. 

We recommend you use an all-purpose cleaner for this cleaning process.  

Step 3:

The next step is to cover all the white lines on the table top with a painter’s tape. You will need some ¾ inches thick pieces of tape for the outer boundary lines and a ⅛ inches thick one for the middle line. 

Ensure that you have covered all these lines well enough, as you will have to restore and use them later.

Step 4:

After you are done with prepping your table, grab all the supplies and get to the real work. 

You will need:

• Primer
• Some painting brushes
• Blue, green, or black alkyd paint (matte type) ( in here, we use blue color)
• White alkyd paint for the boundary lines

Step 5:

A primer is known as a base for the paint, so it should be the first layer going on the table. 

Apply the thick coat of primer to the table and apply it carefully. You can read the manual provided beforehand to get the work done correctly.

Step 6:

It’s painting time!! 

Apply the first coat of blue paint and let it dry completely. Then, apply another coat to the table and wait for it to dry.

Step 7:

After the second layer of paint has dried up, you should remove the painter’s tape and repaint the white lines.

It would be best if you were very careful and patient while doing the work to prevent the paint from smudging into the blue one, and you have to start all the work again. 

The best way to do this step is to use a small paintbrush to paint the white lines as it can help limit the mistakes.

Step 8:

Once all of the paint has dried up and set in, you can check it thoroughly one last time to find out if it has any irregularities.

Should you be satisfied with the result, you can put the net back on the table and start using it. 

Conclusion

After reading this article, we hope you can know how to have your own painted ping pong table. Plus, you will have more information about which color and type of paint to choose from with all the things we listed above. 

Good luck with your work, and thank you for reading!