Ok, so you have your pretty new EnvyTan box sitting there staring at you. Sure you’re intimidated to get started, but it won’t get any easier if you keep waiting. Just take these instructions over to the box, and let’s get started.

1. Take out your equipment and make sure that you have the following: a compressor (largest item in the box), hose, gun, instruction manual, and gun cup. Then, go grab a few dark hand towels.
2. In our experience, the best way to set up your spray studio is to have some black towels on the floor, inside of the Undercover: Spray Tent, with the Get Out: Extraction Fan at the back of the tent. The front of the fan should be facing the inside of the tent and placed in the tent flap at the rear base of the tent.
3. Take the hose and find one end. It doesn’t matter which one. Pull the coupling device at the end of the hose back (you will see that it slides back and forth) and connect the end in your hand to the matching opening on your equipment. You will hear a click when you release the coupling device, which lets you know that you are in business.
4. Find the other end of the hose and repeat the same coupling trick, but this time, connect this end to the gun. Release the coupling; listen for the click, and you’re ready to go.
5. Find your gun cup and Hide Out: Pre-Tan pH Prep Spray. Pour Hide Out into your gun cup. You will need about 1-2 ounces to cover the whole body.
6. Take the cup and gently twist it onto the open end of your gun. It should feel tight, but don’t twist it so tight that you crack the cup. Trust us when we tell you that this happens, so be careful.
7. Find a power outlet and plug in your new spray gun. Find the “On” switch and turn it on to make sure that it is working.
8. Find the person that you are going to spray, or a large piece of white or tan paper taped to the wall, and get ready to spray.
9. You should put on a mask and some gloves. Your model/client should be wearing a hair cap, nose filter, disposables, and Sole Patrols.
10. Spray Hide Out all over your client’s body, just like you were spraying with water. Spray the face last. Give your client the hand towel and ask her to rub off her entire body gently with this hand towel. This is also an excellent way to ease your client into the sound of this equipment, and the feeling of some kind of liquid being sprayed so that she will be at ease when you are tanning.
11. With your gloved finger, spoon out about a dime sized amount of Security: Pre Tan Barrier Balm into your client’s hand. Ask the client to rub it into her elbows, hands, palms, knees, ankles, and the tops of her feet.
12. Find your training solution. Grab training solution (aka. 0%) and pour about 3-4 ounces into your cup. The cup will be a little under half full.

There are two spray patterns that most people typically follow. Your gun nozzle can be set into one of two positions; horizontal çèor vertical  éê. If you take your gun and look at the place where the solution will spray out, you will see what we are talking about. Most people use a combination of horizontal and vertical sprays during the application, but you find what you are most comfortable with as you go.

There is also a little cork type of nozzle at the back of the gun that will help you to adjust the amount of solution flowing out of the gun. The easiest rule here is that you should be able to point the gun at your gloved hand and spray from about 6-8 inches away and see a nice even spray. If you begin spraying, and you see tons of solution pooling on the skin or on your glove, you simply need to rotate that dial until you reach the level that works for you. Lastly, you will want to remember to start and end your spray sweeps off of the body. For example, if you were spraying the arm, you would pull the trigger of the spray gun before you got to the ends of the fingertips so that you did not have a splatter of solution on the client.

Face: Nozzle position-Vertical

When spraying the face, you always want to instruct your client to hold her breath and close her eyes. Make sure that you are about 8 inches away from your client. Spray in a downward sweep, directly down the front of your client’s face. Ask your client to turn her head to the left and spray directly down the side of your client’s face and down onto her left collar bone and shoulder. Repeat down the right side of the face.

Front of Leg: Nozzle position-Vertical

Make sure that your client is standing with her feet about shoulder width apart, and that her arms are lifted away from the body. We call this the Scarecrow Pose (think of a scarecrow’s body position and you have it). Spray directly down the front of her leg. Pull the gun back when you get to her feet and do not apply extra solution here. The overspray in the air will be settling on your client’s feet during the entire spray tan, so you do not need to spray this area. If you listen to one thing that we tell you in this guide, understand that the hands and feet will end up looking twice as dark as they do during the tan. It’s like your momma told you about make up, less really is more here. Repeat on the other leg.

Inside of the Leg: Nozzle position-Vertical

With your client still in the Scarecrow Pose, ask her to turn her foot out to expose the inside of her thigh. Spray directly down the inside of her leg. Remember to pull the gun back when you get to her feet and do not apply extra solution here. Repeat on the other leg.

Back of the Leg: Nozzle position-Vertical

With your client still in the Scarecrow Pose, ask her to face the rear of the tent. Spray directly down the back of her leg. Remember to pull the gun back when you get to her feet and do not apply extra solution here. Repeat on the other leg.

Outside of the Leg: Nozzle position-Vertical

With your client now in the ‘I know the answer’ Pose (think of a kid with his arm way up in the air stretching to be seen and you have it), ask your client to turn to the side, so that the outside of her thigh is facing the front of the tent. Spray directly down the side of her leg. Remember to pull the gun back when you get to her feet and do not apply extra solution here. Repeat on the other leg

Side of the Torso/Underarm-Nozzle position-Vertical

While your client is still in the ‘I know the answer’ Pose, spray directly up the inside of the torso, and finish your sweep by lightly spraying the underarm area. Repeat on the other side.

Back of the Arm: Nozzle position- Vertical

Ask your client to return to the Scarecrow Pose, and face the back of the tent. Ask her to rotate her wrists towards the back of the tent, so that her palms are facing her sides. Spray directly down the back of the arms, but pull back when you get to the wrist area. The overspray in the air will be settling on your client’s hands during the entire spray tan, so you do not need to spray this area. Repeat on the other side. 

Torso/Back: Nozzle position-Horizontal

With your client in the Scarecrow Pose, still facing the rear of the tent, spray her back area with horizontal sweeps and continue on down the back of the torso until you reach the bottom of her bikini area.

Front of the Arm: Nozzle position-Vertical

With your client still in the Scarecrow Pose, ask her to face the front of the tent. Ask her to rotate the palms of her hands towards the back of the tent. Spray directly down the front of the arm, but pull back when you get to the wrist area. Repeat on the other side.

Torso/Front: Nozzle position-Horizontal

With your client in the Scarecrow Pose, facing the front of the tent, spray the neck and chest area with horizontal sweeps. Continue down the front of the torso/stomach area until you reach the bottom of her bikini area.

Inside of the Arm: Nozzle position-Horizontal

Ask your client to get into the ‘Traffic Cop’ Pose (think of a person facing traffic, but with arms out to the side pointing and you have it), and face the front of the tent. Ask her to close her fingers over the palm of her hand. Spray directly across the inside of the arm, but pull back when you get to the wrist area. Repeat on the other side.

Ok, so you made it through your first spray tan. We told you it wasn’t that difficult. It will become easier every time you do it, but you never have to have your first spray tan again, because it’s over. Congrats. Now, let’s get cleaned up and put on the final touches.

1. Grab the spray gun with one hand, and the hose with the other. Disconnect the spray gun from the hose and what are you left with? An excellent way to help your clients dry more quickly. Take the hose and blow air over your client’s face and body to help her dry a bit more rapidly.
2. Put the gun and hose back together and turn off the equipment.
3. Grab that same hand towel from earlier and ask your client to turn her palms face up like she is holding a cake pan. Instruct her to give you a little resistance like the pan is heavy. Take the hand towel and wipe off the palms of her hands, her fingernails, and then carefully wipe off her toenails. You do this to avoid any staining in these areas.
4. Your client will need to dry for 2-5 minutes, so this gives you the perfect time to clean up.
5. Take any remaining solution that it is in your cup and put it back into your bottle.
6. Locate your bottle of The Cleaner: Gun Cleaning solution. Once your cup is empty, add about an ounce of The Cleaner, and about 2 ounces of bottled water (tap water will leave mineral deposits in the line, so do not use tap water).
7. Mix them together inside of your cup. Spray all of that solution through your gun into the used hand towel.
8. Add another 1 ounce of water to your gun cup, and repeat this process with just water to make sure that the lines are clear of The Cleaner for your next spray tan.
9. Wipe down the inside of your spray tan tent with a mixture of Windex and water, allow to dry for 2-5 minutes and then collapse your Undercover: Spray Tan Tent.
10. Smile. You did it. See you on the web at www.envytan.com.