COMPARISON
Wall, trim and exterior paints compared by dry-to-touch time
311 products in our catalog state a time for dry to touch, from 5 minutes (Zinsser (Rust-Oleum) Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Aerosol Primer) to 6 hours (Haymes Elite General Purpose Undercoat). The median is 1 hour. The table shows the 25 shortest, built only from numeric times in manufacturer documents.
Fair-comparison rule: Read the exact milestone and conditions on each product page. Similar numbers can describe different tests, substrates or stages, and a faster time is not automatically a better product.
Comparison table
| Product | Manufacturer-stated minimum | Condition/source |
|---|---|---|
| Zinsser (Rust-Oleum) Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Aerosol Primer White spray | 5 minutes | 70–80°F and 50% RH |
| Asian Paints Tractor Emulsion Economy interior acrylic emulsion | 10 minutes | At 28 to 30°C and 60 to 65% humidity. |
| Bailey Paints 4980 Road Marking Paint Quick-drying line paint | 10 minutes | At 20°C. |
| Asian Paints Royale Luxury Sheen Interior luxury acrylic emulsion | 15 minutes | At 28 to 30°C and 60 to 65% humidity. |
| Benjamin Moore COMMAND Waterborne Acrylic Urethane Satin | 15 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Benjamin Moore COMMAND Waterborne Acrylic Urethane Semi-gloss | 15 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Benjamin Moore COMMAND Waterborne Acrylic Urethane Gloss | 15 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Rust-Oleum Rust-Oleum Specialty Tub & Tile Aerosol Epoxy aerosol refinish, Canadian sheet | 15 minutes | At 21°C (70°F). |
| Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Clean Metal Primer Spray Aerosol (No. 7780830) | 15 minutes | 70°F and 50% RH |
| Zinsser (Rust-Oleum) B-I-N Shellac-Based Primer (Spray) 13 oz aerosol | 15 minutes | 70–80°F and 50% RH |
| Benjamin Moore Corotech High Solid Rapid Dry Gloss High gloss | 20 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Corotech V225 High Solid Rapid Dry Gloss White | 20 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Corotech V225 High Solid Rapid Dry Gloss Black | 20 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Corotech V225 High Solid Rapid Dry Gloss Safety red | 20 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Corotech V225 High Solid Rapid Dry Gloss Tint base | 20 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Haymes Artisan Base Coat Decorative base coat (Australia) | 20 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Valspar Direct-to-Metal Acrylic Paint Metal primer and finish | 20 minutes | At 77°F (25°C) and 50% relative humidity. |
| Asian Paints Apcolite Premium Emulsion Interior acrylic emulsion | 30 minutes | At 25°C and 50% humidity. |
| Asian Paints Apex Ultima Weatherproof Anti-algal exterior emulsion | 30 minutes | At 25°C and 50% humidity. |
| Asian Paints Ultima Protek Duralife Exterior waterproofing paint | 30 minutes | At 30°C and 50 to 60% humidity. |
| BEHR Multi-Surface Stain-Blocking Primer & Sealer (No. 436) White | 30 minutes | The page gives no conditions for this time. |
| Benjamin Moore Drywall Primer White | 30 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Benjamin Moore Drywall Primer Deep base | 30 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Benjamin Moore Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer White | 30 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
| Benjamin Moore Multi-Purpose Primer White | 30 minutes | At manufacturer-stated conditions; temperature, humidity and film thickness can change drying time. |
Quick answers
Which has the shortest stated time for dry to touch?
Among the 311 products in our catalog with a numeric milestone for dry to touch, the shortest is Zinsser (Rust-Oleum) Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Aerosol Primer at 5 minutes.
How wide is the range for dry to touch?
Stated times run from 5 minutes to 6 hours, with a median of 1 hour across 38 manufacturers.
What can change the order?
Temperature, humidity, thickness, airflow, surface preparation and what the manufacturer means by this milestone can all change which product is right. We keep the manufacturer wording on each product page so you can check before relying on a number.