Tired of your security cameras sticking out like a sore thumb?

It can be hard to find a security camera that actually matches your home or office's aesthetic. Since most security cameras come in white, these cameras typically stick out like a sore thumb. Sometimes you'll find a security camera that comes in both white and black. While it's nice to see some variation, sometimes these two options don't cut it. But that's okay! You really don't have to settle for a color that you're not happy with. Have you ever considered painting your security cameras?

This might sound scary at first. What if it doesn't look good? What if you mess up the camera's functionality? What if the coat doesn't last long? Well don't fret. We've put together this guide to walk you through every aspect of spray painting your security cameras. Check out the video below to see just how simple it really is to give your cameras a clean and attractive paint job.

Why Paint Your Security Cameras?

Before we get into the how, let's talk about why you may want to paint your security cameras. This isn't a viable option for everyone. Some people may actually want their security cameras to stand out, to ward off potential intruders and to let people know they're being watched. However, there are times when you may want your security cameras to be less noticeable. Here are some reasons you may want to spray paint your security cameras.

1. You Don't Want People to Notice Your Security Cameras

If you want your surveillance to be more covert, this may be an option for you. Especially if your security cameras are more easily accessible, you may want to camouflage your cameras to avoid vandalism. Simply paint your camera the same color as its environment and it will instantly be less noticeable.

2. You Want Your Security Cameras to Look Good

Aesthetics is not the first priority when it comes to surveillance. However, there may be times when you install a security camera in a high-traffic area and it's important that it looks good. Check out this camera below, which is located on my patio. My family spends time together out here, and we also use this space to entertain guests. You can see that this white security camera really draws a lot of attention, when we'd rather it just blend in and look like it belongs there. In this instance, painting the camera would really help this whole area to look much better.

3. You Don't Want to Limit Yourself in Selection

As we've already pointed out, most cameras are only sold in white. If you really need a different colored camera, it can really limit your options on which cameras are available to you. Let's say you really have your heart set on one of our R-Series Cameras, but you're really needing a black camera. If you decide to paint the cameras yourself, you can still get the camera you really want without having to compromise on the color selection.

4. You Sell Security Cameras

Are you a security dealer? First of all, if you're not already a part of our dealer program, what are you waiting for? (Click here to learn more) If you sell security cameras but only have white cameras in stock, you can still offer your customers a variety of colors. Since it only takes a few supplies to paint as many cameras as you need to paint, you can keep overhead expenses low and customer satisfaction through the roof. Also, since this is something that your competitors are probably not doing, you can really help your business stand out.

Now that you know if you fall into the category of people who may want to paint their security cameras, let's jump into it. Here is how to spray paint your security cameras in a few short and simple steps.

Preparing Your Cameras

Here's everything you need to get started painting your security cameras today.

• A white security camera (I used the R-Series 2MP Turret and 5MP Dome)
• Spray Paint (I used Dark Walnut colored paint with a satin finish, but obviously this will depend on your project and preferences)
• Masking tape (I used this Frog Tape)
• A precision knife or box cutter
• Cardboard or paper

Be sure you take the time to really prepare your cameras for the coats of paint. This step isn't hard to do, but it's a crucial step in the process. Preparation involves wiping the dust off of your camera with a microfiber cloth, using your masking tape to cover any area of the camera that you don't want painted, and removing any stickers on the camera's body.

Step One: Clean the surface of your camera with a microfiber cloth

This will make sure your cameras are nice and clean before you spray paint them. If there's dust or oils, it could prevent the spray paint from sticking to your cameras. Wiping them down beforehand might save you from an extra couple of coats.

Step Two: Tape up anything that you don't want painted!

Obviously this includes the camera's lens. But also take into account the camera's IR LED lights, the power adapter connection, the Ethernet connection, and any other ports or cables your camera might have. To ensure that your coat of paint is as accurate and straight as possible, you may also want to light cut around the edges of the tape with a precision knife.

Remove any stickers from the camera's body

The model number label, for instance, should be removed prior to painting.

Take apart your camera (if necessary)

You may need to take apart your camera in order to get the best coat of paint possible. I didn't have to do this for my vandal dome, but I did end up taking my turret apart. If you already know which direction you're going to be pointing your turret camera, you can probably skip this step and just paint it whole. But just to make sure I didn't have any extra white spots on the back of the camera, I went ahead and disassmbled it.

Your cameras are now ready to paint!

Throw down some paper or cardboard, set up your camera pieces, and you're ready to go!

Spray Painting Your Security Cameras in Coats

As you start painting your security cameras, keep in mind that you're going to need to do multiple coats of paint. Don't try to do it all in one go, otherwise you'll end up with a cakey mess of paint. Instead, spray your cameras with one thin layer, let it dry. Spray another thin layer, let it dry. Repeat this process as much as necessary. For my cameras, it only took two coats and they were good to go.

Once you're finished with your last coat, I recommend doing some spot spraying with a flashlight. This will help you see all the tiny places you may have missed on your first two coats.

Once you've finished painting your cameras, they're ready for installation. Remove the tape, reassemble your cameras if necessary, and throw them up on your wall or ceiling. Congratulations, your cameras are now looking great, they're camouflaged, and they're ready to start working.

Final Thoughts

Here's what you can't see in the picture above. If you look really closely, there are some small imperfections. There are a couple of spots that only got one coat. There are some spots on the lens where I didn't completely mask it with the tape. But who cares?

Here's what I want to leave you with as you prepare to go and paint your security cameras. Don't sweat the small things. If you worry about painting each camera perfectly, especially if you have a bunch of cameras to paint, you're going to wear yourself out. Instead, focus on the bigger picture.

When this camera is installed at a distance, no one is going to see any of the tiny imperfections. They'd have to get really close in order to see them, and no one's going to do that. In fact, if you go through the work of painting your security cameras, they're probably not even going to notice the cameras at all, which is the goal.

But here's the bottom line. Even with its imperfections, these dark cameras are going to look way better on my house, due to the darker walls and exteriors. I'm very happy with how this project turned out, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to camouflage their security cameras. You'll find that it's a really easy job to do, but has a ton of benefits. Get started today, and let us know if there's anything we can do to help you out.