How to load paint into a roller cover?

Conditioning a roller cover before painting can make it easier to load paint into the cover and easier to clean when you're done painting. For latex paints, immerse the cover into clean water and remove after a few seconds. For solvent paints, use paint thinner or applicable solvent. Use a roller spinner to remove the excess water and finish by wiping the cover with a clean rag or towel. Often professional painting contractors will remove loose lint and fuzz from new covers by pressing painter's tape on the surface of the cover.

Prepare your paint tray by adding a tray liner to make cleanup easier. Stir the paint thoroughly and add it to the well of paint tray. Don't overfill the well, as this will cause excess paint to seep into the roll-off area making it more difficult to load paint into the cover.

Dip the cover into to the well to begin the loading process. Lift the cover out of the well portion of the tray and roll several times in the roll-off area to disperse the paint evenly over the cover.

The initial loading of the cover may take some time.

Keep your cover full of paint. Painting too large of an area between reloading will cause the cover to mat making painting more difficult and could result in improper coating film build. If the cover makes a crackling sound when rolling over the surface, more paint is needed.