How to read a tip number
Every reversible tip uses the same three-digit code, and once you can read it you can size a tip without a chart:
- First digit × 2 = fan width in inches, measured about 12" from the surface. A 515 sprays roughly a 10–12" fan; a 215 sprays about 4–6".
- Last two digits = orifice size in thousandths of an inch. A 515 has a .015" orifice; a 215 has the same .015" orifice through a narrower fan.
So the two halves of the number answer two different questions. Fan width is about the surface you are covering; orifice is about the material you are spraying. Pick the orifice your coating needs first, then choose the fan width that suits the work.
Choosing an orifice for your material
Orifice size controls how much material reaches the surface. Too small and a heavy coating will not atomize; too large and a thin coating will run. Use this as a starting point, then confirm against the coating manufacturer's recommendation on the label.
| Orifice | Typical materials |
|---|
| .007"–.011" | Lacquers, stains, sealers, and thin varnishes — light-bodied finishing materials. |
| .011"–.013" | Light enamels, oil-based finishes, and thinned primers. |
| .013"–.015" | Enamels, primers, and thinned latex — the general finishing range. |
| .015"–.019" | Latex paints for most interior and exterior wall work. The everyday production range. |
| .019"–.023" | Heavy latex, exterior masonry coatings, and thinned block filler. |
| .023"–.031" | Heavy-bodied coatings and elastomerics. |
| .031"–.037" | Block filler, textured materials, and high-build coatings. |
Your sprayer also has to keep up. Every pump is rated for a maximum tip size, and a tip larger than that rating will make the unit run continuously and struggle to hold pressure. Check your sprayer's maximum tip rating before moving up.
Standard tip size chart
All 72 sizes below are stocked as singles, 3-packs, and 10-packs. Select a tip number to open its product page. Orifice and fan figures are Bedford's published specifications for each tip.
| Tip | Orifice | Fan width |
|---|
| 100 series — 2–4" fan · narrowest fan — detail and touch-up |
| 107 | .007" | 2–4" |
| 109 | .009" | 2" |
| 111 | .011" | 2–4" |
| 113 | .013" | 2–4" |
| 200 series — 4–6" fan · trim, frames, and tight areas |
| 207 | .007" | 4–6" |
| 209 | .009" | 4–6" |
| 211 | .011" | 4–6" |
| 213 | .013" | 4–6" |
| 215 | .015" | 4–6" |
| 217 | .017" | 4–6" |
| 219 | .019" | 4–6" |
| 221 | .021" | 4–6" |
| 225 | .025" | 4" |
| 300 series — 6–8" fan · doors, cabinets, and small panels |
| 307 | .007" | 6–8" |
| 309 | .009" | 6–8" |
| 311 | .011" | 6–8" |
| 313 | .013" | 6–8" |
| 315 | .015" | 6–8" |
| 317 | .017" | 6–8" |
| 319 | .019" | 6–8" |
| 321 | .021" | 6–8" |
| 323 | .023" | 6–8" |
| 325 | .025" | 6–8" |
| 327 | .027" | 6–8" |
| 400 series — 8–10" fan · doors, panels, and general work |
| 409 | .009" | 8–10" |
| 411 | .011" | 8–10" |
| 413 | .013" | 8–10" |
| 415 | .015" | 8–10" |
| 417 | .017" | 8–10" |
| 419 | .019" | 8–10" |
| 421 | .021" | 8–10" |
| 423 | .023" | 8–10" |
| 425 | .025" | 8–10" |
| 427 | .027" | 8–10" |
| 429 | .029" | 8–10" |
| 431 | .031" | 8–10" |
| 435 | .035" | 8–10" |
| 437 | .037" | 8–10" |
| 500 series — 10–12" fan · walls and ceilings — general production |
| 511 | .011" | 10–12" |
| 513 | .013" | 10–12" |
| 515 | .015" | 10–12" |
| 517 | .017" | 10–12" |
| 519 | .019" | 10–12" |
| 521 | .021" | 10–12" |
| 523 | .023" | 10–12" |
| 525 | .025" | 10–12" |
| 527 | .027" | 10–12" |
| 529 | .029" | 10–12" |
| 531 | .031" | 10–12" |
| 533 | .033" | 10–12" |
| 535 | .035" | 10–12" |
| 600 series — 12–14" fan · large walls and exteriors |
| 613 | .013" | 12–14" |
| 615 | .015" | 12–14" |
| 617 | .017" | 12–14" |
| 619 | .019" | 12–14" |
| 621 | .021" | 12–14" |
| 623 | .023" | 12–14" |
| 625 | .025" | 12–14" |
| 627 | .027" | 12–14" |
| 629 | .029" | 12–14" |
| 631 | .031" | 12–14" |
| 633 | .033" | 12–14" |
| 635 | .035" | 12–14" |
| 700 series — 14–16" fan · wide fan — large flat surfaces |
| 717 | .017" | 14–16" |
| 721 | .021" | 14–16" |
| 723 | .023" | 14–16" |
| 725 | .025" | 14–16" |
| 800 series — 16–18" fan · widest fan — maximum coverage |
| 815 | .015" | 16–18" |
| 817 | .017" | 16–18" |
| 819 | .019" | 16–18" |
| 821 | .021" | 16–18" |
| 831 | .031" | 16–18" |
Sizing for a specific coating? The spray tip size guide works through orifice and fan width by material.
Which Bedford tip range do I need?
Bedford stocks several tip ranges, and they are not interchangeable — the guard on your gun decides which ones will physically fit. Start with the guard, then choose the range that matches the work.
| Range | Fits | Use it for |
|---|
| Standard tips (this collection) | Standard-barrel RAC 5 and SC-6 style guards | General-purpose spraying across the widest size range — primers, latex, enamels, and heavy coatings. |
| Large barrel tips | Large-barrel RAC X style guards | The same general-purpose work as standard tips, for guns that take the larger RAC X barrel. |
| Fine finish tips | Standard-barrel RAC 5 and SC-6 style guards | Finer atomization and a softer edge on trim, cabinets, doors, and furniture. |
| Fine finish low pressure tips | Large-barrel RAC X style guards | Fine finish work at up to 50% lower pressure, for less overspray and longer tip life. |
| High pressure tips | Graco XHD style equipment | High-pressure applications rated well beyond standard airless working pressure. |
| Line striper tips | Standard-barrel RAC 5 and SC-6 style guards | Pavement marking — rated by line width rather than fan width. |
If your gun takes a standard-barrel guard, this collection and the fine finish range both fit it; the difference is atomization, not fit. If your gun takes a large-barrel RAC X guard, you want large barrel or fine finish low pressure tips instead.
Getting longer life from a tip
- Spray at the lowest pressure that fully atomizes. Turn the pressure down until the fan just begins to show tails, then bring it back up slightly. Excess pressure erodes the orifice without improving the finish.
- Strain your material and keep the filters in. Most clogs and premature wear trace back to debris. Gun and manifold filters cost far less than tips.
- Clear clogs by reversing the tip, not by picking at the orifice — anything pushed into the carbide will change the fan pattern permanently.
- Watch the fan width. A worn tip sprays narrower than its rating and lays heavy edges. By the time a 515 is spraying an 8" fan it is using noticeably more material than a new tip costs.
Standard Tip FAQ
What do the numbers on a spray tip mean?
The first digit doubled gives the fan width in inches at about 12" from the surface, and the last two digits give the orifice size in thousandths of an inch. A 517 sprays roughly a 10–12" fan through a .017" orifice.
What size tip should I use for latex paint?
For interior walls and ceilings in latex, a .015"–.019" orifice covers most work, with a 10–12" fan for open surfaces. A 515 or 517 is the usual starting point. Heavier exterior latex and masonry coatings generally want .019" or larger.
Will these fit my Graco or Titan gun?
These tips fit standard-barrel RAC 5 and Titan SC-6 style guards. If your gun uses a large-barrel RAC X guard, you need large barrel tips instead. Each product page lists the equipment it is compatible with — check that list before ordering.
How do I know when a tip is worn out?
Watch the fan, not the calendar. As the orifice wears it sprays a narrower fan with heavy edges, and you compensate by raising pressure — which wears it faster still. A tip spraying noticeably narrower than its rating is costing you more in wasted material than a replacement costs.
Are these genuine Graco or Titan tips?
No — Bedford tips are compatible replacements, not genuine OEM parts. Each is manufactured to OEM-equivalent dimensions so it fits the same guards and sprays the same rated fan and orifice as the tip it replaces, at a lower cost per tip.
Should I buy singles or multi-packs?
Buy singles when you are trying a new size or keeping a spare on the truck. Multi-packs make sense for the one or two sizes a crew runs every day, since tips are a consumable and a worn one quietly wastes material long before it fails outright.
Compatibility and cross-reference
Bedford standard tips are compatible replacements cross-referenced to Graco's 286-series RAC 5 tips and Titan's SC-6 range. Search the OEM part number from your equipment manual — dashes optional — or open the Custom Lookup Tool to match tips to your machine. Related ranges: large barrel tips, fine finish tips, fine finish low pressure tips, high pressure tips, and tip guards and accessories.
BEDFORD® and BEDFORD PRECISION PARTS™ are proprietary marks of Bedford Precision Parts, LLC ("Bedford"). All other listed marks are proprietary to their respective owners and are not affiliated with Bedford.
