It's Okay to Skip the Primer When You Paint

“Contractors like to stick with what they know,” Zimmer says.

As for the rest of us? We think you’re better off with the new approach. Most of the paints Consumer Reports buys and tests are self-priming, and we’ve found that they work well.

“Self-priming paints have improved over the years to the point where you no longer need to prime,” says our paint expert, Rico de Paz. “And I would say that’s true whether there’s paint already on the walls or it’s new construction.”

But why not use an inexpensive primer plus one coat of good paint?

“It might seem like it would save you money, but primers do not hide as well,” de Paz says. “If your walls are smooth and you’re putting a similar or darker color over light, one coat of self-priming paint that’s excellent at hiding will do the job.”How We Test Interior PaintsUsing nontinted base paints (paint before color is added), we test how well each covers dark colors as well as resists stains. The results show whether a paint hides well enough to not require a primer, and also how well it stands up to wear and tear.

For the coverage test, we apply one consistent coat to cardstock that has been painted black, and wait for it to dry. Then we use a device called a colorimeter to measure how well the paint covers the black paint. We do this twice per paint sample and average the results.

For stain resistance, our testers apply paint to a plastic panel. After it dries, they apply two lines of soils—coffee and a sootlike substance—and allow them to dry. Then they wash the painted panels, and use a colorimeter to measure the color of the paint on the rinsed areas. The closer the cleaned portions are to the original coat, the more stain-resistant the paint.