Make Better Books

: : What is it?
“Floetrol is a conditioner for flat or semi-gloss latex paints and enamels.  Adding Floetrol to latex paint improves the performance of the paint and keeps the projects flowing smoothly.  Floetrol gives latex paint the flow and leveling of oil paint to enhance it performance in less-than-ideal circumstances.  It minimizes brush and roller marks to make your paint job look better with less effort.” from flood.com

: : Where can you get it?
Any paint or hardware store should have it.  Though, when I went to buy floetrol from an Ace Hardware in my neighborhood, the employees had never even heard of it. We stumbled upon the stuff almost by accident in the paint aisle.

: : How much does it cost?
A quart of it cost me about $10, but I’ve seen it online for under $6.  A quart is about all you need really.  It will last most hobbyists a lifetime.

: : What does it look like?
Comes in quarts and gallons like so:
[image credit : google image search]

: : How does it handle?
It’s white and slow-moving.  A little like Elmer’s glue, but more viscous.  I think this website has it right — use a spoon to measure how much you want.  You won’t need more than a tablespoon anyway.

[image credit : houstonhobbies.com]

: : What’s the magic recipe?
You should play with the process to see what works for you and your particular can of paint, but generally you can add a tablespoon of floetrol to a quart of house paint.  It’ll keep like regular house paint, so once you add the floetrol and mix the paint, just remember to shut the lid tight and mix before each use, then you can continue to use the floetrol-infused house paint for your screen-printing projects until it’s gone!