Priming is usually only necessary for the first treatment of a surface. When painting on top of painted surfaces, no primer is needed with Cover Story paints. Our paints have excellent coverage and in most of the cases you will need only two coats of tinted paint to achieve the perfect smooth finish.  If you are painting a new wall or ceiling for the first time, painting an old, untreated surface, or if you are changing the color of the wall from very dark to very light, it is a good idea to put a primer under the topcoat. You can conveniently order Cover Story primer from our online store - look for 000 PRIMER.