What term describes the shape and distribution of the spray produced by a spray gun?

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The shape and distribution produced by a spray gun is called the spray gun pattern. This term captures how the paint fans out and covers the surface, including the overall shape (such as circular or fan-shaped) and how evenly it spreads at a given distance and settings. It’s what you adjust when you tilt or distance the gun and change the air cap and nozzle to get uniform coverage without runs or heavy edge buildup. A fan pattern is a specific type of spray gun pattern, but the broader term describing the overall shape and distribution is spray gun pattern. Flow rate tells you how much paint is delivered per time, not how it’s spread, and atomization relates to turning the liquid into droplets rather than the spray’s shape.