Which feeding methods are commonly used to supply paint to spray guns?

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Feeding paint to spray guns relies on how the paint is delivered from the cup into the nozzle. The two most common methods are gravity feed and suction feed. In gravity feed, the cup sits on top of the gun, and paint flows into the nozzle simply under the force of gravity. This setup makes color changes easy, usually offers good control of flow, and is popular for its smooth spray and visibility of the paint level. In suction feed, the cup is below the gun and a dip tube brings the paint up into the air stream; the flow is pulled into the nozzle by the suction created as the air passes the fluid, which works well for certain setups and can be handy in tight spaces or when using smaller cups. Both of these methods are standard in automotive refinishing because they provide reliable paint delivery and good spray performance. A manual feeding approach, where paint is poured directly or handled without a proper cup setup, is not common for consistent, professional spraying due to spills and erratic flow.