Walls, Wood, and Metal - Small 1/4″ roller covers or foam rollers will produce the smoothest finish. Light to Medium Textured Surfaces - Microfiber rollers are best.
The two best paint rollers for a smooth finish is a High Density Foam Roller with a Rounded Edge and a Lint Free Low Nap Roller, but I will say that even though both of these are good rollers one wins the prize for the smoothest finish.
Use a Quality Brush or Roller: A high-quality synthetic brush or a foam roller can help achieve a smooth finish. For flat surfaces, a foam roller is preferable. Apply Thin Coats: Use thin, even coats of paint to avoid drips and ensure smoothness. Multiple thin coats are better than one thick coat.
If your walls are smooth and looking for a level 5 finish (very smooth), we'd recommend a Microfibre 5mm as it will provide you with a satisfying spray-like finish to match the surface. Rooms that often have walls with smoother surfaces include bathrooms and toilets with enamel paints.
Quality 12mm nap rollers will apply an even paint film to your walls and ceilings and give you a great finish, without splattering paint all over you and the floor. Professional painters actually use 20mm nap rollers on ceilings, and 12mm nap rollers on walls.
White China—These natural bristle brushes are best used with oil-based paints, especially enamels and varnishes. Ideal for woodwork, enamels, or marine applications, White China bristles virtually eliminate brush marks.
There are a few ways to fix paint brush strokes. You can use a thinner to make the paint flow more smoothly. Use a liner brush and clean up the edges of your stroke. Also, you can use a dry brush or another type of brush with a smaller tip to blend in your strokes.
Eggshell finish, perennially popular with professional and DIY painters alike, has a low-sheen reminiscent of flat or matte, but it is infinitely more durable than its namesake.
A foam roller will help to get a smooth finish on a surface such as cabinets. Foam can hold a lot of paint, fitting for porous surfaces such as bare wood.
For those looking for paint rollers for a smooth finish, high-density foam rollers should be your first stop. While high-density foam rollers are great, they are not the only option. Lint-free short nap rollers are another excellent choice for achieving a smooth finish.
If you're painting a smooth surface, use a White China Bristle for a super-smooth finish. When painting a textured surface, a Black China Bristle will work best because it's slightly stiffer, more durable, and is excellent for high-productivity applications.
Walls, Wood, and Metal - Small 1/4″ roller covers or foam rollers will produce the smoothest finish. Light to Medium Textured Surfaces - Microfiber rollers are best. Smooth Surfaces - Use a white woven short nap roller for an ultra fine finish.
Not Fully Loading the Roller
The roller needs to be fully loaded with paint to the core, otherwise you'll get air bubbles on your wall, resulting in “paint acne.” To avoid this mistake, roll back and forth on the roller tray until all bubbles are gone and the roller feels heavy.
Unfortunately, roller marks will probably not go away when the paint dries out. However, as the paint dries some of the roller marks will become slightly less noticeable. But simply waiting until the paint has dried won't solve the problem completely.
Use a Paint Additive
You can use a product like Floetrol, which is an additive for latex paint that helps eliminate brush strokes and extend the paint's drying time. Just add it to your paint per the instructions on the label.
For very smooth surfaces like plaster or drywall, get a ¼-inch to ⅜-inch nap on the roller. This way, there will be little texture and the finish will be finer. If the surface is textured, you should use a much longer nap to reach the grooves and crevices.
Dry time is important because if you recoat before the recommended time, the finish might become texturized and bumpy. Most paint will require a minimum of 15-30 days to fully cure and become scratch resistant. If you touch or move the surface before it's fully cured then you might scratch, smudge, or ruin the finish.
This is perfectly common when spraying on primer. It's easily corrected by sanding with a fine-grit paper before the finish paint is applied; or it can be prevented by backrolling as the paint is sprayed. In this case, neither action was taken, and a low-sheen finish paint was applied.
For smooth surfaces such as new drywall, choose a shorter nap (3/16” or 1/4″) to evenly apply the paint and maintain a smooth finish. Because a shorter nap picks up less paint, it is common for some painters to use a longer nap for increased production.
The way you apply the paint to your surface will help determine the finish. For a smoother, hand painted finish, use long, light strokes and ensure that you DON'T overload your brush. Just dip the tip of your brush in the paint.
Traditionally professional decorators would use a natural bristle brush for gloss paints, however as we have mentioned good quality synthetic brushes are just as effective and much cheaper today.