What is overspray in the context of painting?

Overspray refers to the aerosolized paint particles that become airborne and land outside the intended area during the application process. This typically occurs when using spray painting techniques, where some of the paint can drift away from the target surface due to factors like air movement, improper spray pattern, or incorrect technique.

Understanding overspray is essential in paint technology because it not only affects the efficiency of paint use but can also lead to waste and additional clean-up efforts if paint lands on unintended surfaces. Proper technique and equipment settings are necessary to minimize overspray and ensure that the paint is applied evenly and effectively to the desired area.

The other choices refer to different aspects of painting. Intentionally applying paint to edges highlights a technique, dripping reflects application issues, and removing paint post-application addresses a completely different process altogether. Each of these is important in its own right, but they do not specifically define overspray as it relates to unintended paint dispersion.