You pull the trigger and instead of a clean, even rectangle of spray you get two dense lobes — heavy on the outside edges, thin in the middle. Painters call it cat eyes, tails, or fingers. Whatever you call it, something is wrong, and in most cases it’s a fast fix.
This guide covers every cause of the cat-eye pattern in order of likelihood, with the specific fix for each. Work through them in sequence and you’ll have a clean pattern before the customer arrives.
What a Normal Fan Pattern Should Look Like
A properly functioning airless sprayer with a clean, appropriate-size tip at correct pressure produces an even, consistent oval or rectangle — dense and uniform edge to edge with a gradual soft fade at the borders. No dense concentrations at either end, no thin stripe through the center.
Cause 1: Pressure Too Low (Most Common)
The most frequent cause of cat-eye patterns is running the machine at insufficient pressure for the tip size and material. At low pressure, material doesn’t atomize completely across the full fan width. The center of the fan has insufficient velocity to spread, while the edges — where the tip geometry forces more material — stay dense.
Fix: increase pressure in small increments until the pattern cleans up, testing on cardboard. Most latex paints achieve a clean pattern at 1,800–2,500 PSI. If you’re running below this range, pressure is likely your issue. If you have to run at maximum machine pressure to get a clean pattern, your tip orifice is probably too large for the machine.
Cause 2: Worn Tip Orifice
The .015-inch circular orifice on a new tip gradually wears to an oval shape with use. When the orifice goes oval, it distributes material unevenly across the fan width — producing the cat-eye concentration pattern. Graco’s tip replacement rule: when fan width at normal operating pressure drops 25% from the rated width, the tip is past its design life. A 515 tip rated for 10 inches that now produces a 7.5-inch fan needs replacing. Browse the full RAC X SwitchTip range — a replacement tip is $15–$22 and fixes this in 60 seconds.
Cause 3: Clogged Tip Orifice
Debris in the orifice creates uneven restriction across the fan width, redirecting flow to unobstructed portions and producing the cat-eye effect. Fix: reverse the RAC X SwitchTip (turn 180 degrees) and pull the trigger to spray through a rag. The reverse position uses full line pressure to dislodge the obstruction. Turn back to forward position and test on cardboard. If still poor, remove the tip and clean with appropriate solvent and a soft brush. Never use metal tools to clean a tip orifice — they permanently alter the geometry.
Cause 4: Material Viscosity Too High for Tip Size
Very thick material — heavy body latex, elastomeric, thick primer — requires a larger tip orifice or higher pressure than thinner materials. If you’re spraying thick material through a tip designed for thin applications, viscosity prevents complete atomization across the fan width. Fix: switch to a larger tip appropriate for the material. For thick exterior latex producing cat-eye patterns with a 517 tip, try a 521 or 525.
Cause 5: Clogged Gun Filter
A partially clogged gun filter restricts flow at the gun inlet, reducing pressure at the tip. This produces the same low-pressure symptom as turning down the pressure control: uneven atomization and cat-eye patterns. The fix: check the Graco spray gun filter (part 288749 fine mesh or 288750 standard). On Graco SG2 and SG3 guns the filter is accessible without tools — unscrew the retainer, remove, inspect, replace if blocked. Gun filters are $8–$12 for a 10-pack and should be replaced at the start of every job.
Cause 6: Worn Pump Packings
If you’ve worked through all the above and the pattern is still poor — adequate pressure, clean tip, clean filter, correct material viscosity — the pump packings may be worn to the point where the machine can’t maintain consistent pressure delivery. Worn packings create pressure fluctuation that manifests as inconsistent atomization.
Run the 15-second cycling interval test: prime, switch to SPRAY, hold trigger 5 seconds, release, count seconds before motor restarts. Under 10 seconds means service now. For Ultra 395/495/595: packing kit 18B260. For Ultra Max II 695/795: kit 248212. For Magnum X5/X7/ProX17: kit 17V781.
The Diagnosis Sequence
| Check First | What to Look For | Fix |
| Pressure setting | Below 2,000 PSI for the material? | Increase gradually, test on cardboard |
| Tip orifice | Fan width dropped 25%+ from rated? | Replace RAC X SwitchTip |
| Tip clog | Debris in orifice? | Reverse tip, blast through rag, clean or replace |
| Material viscosity | Too thick for current tip? | Switch to larger tip orifice |
| Gun filter | Restricted flow at gun? | Replace gun filter (288749 or 288750) |
| Pump packings | Cycling interval under 10 seconds? | Packing kit for your model |
Causes 1 (pressure) and 2 (worn tip) account for approximately 80% of cat-eye complaints in our experience. The fix costs either nothing (a pressure adjustment) or $15–$22 (a new tip).
RAC X SwitchTips in every size, gun filters (10-packs), and packing kits for all Graco machines are available on our Graco paint sprayer parts page. Same-day shipping from Houston, TX before 1pm CST. Call 713-931-4102 to confirm the right tip size for your material and machine model.