Deep pigments bleed through light paint. One coat of white over red often looks pink. Skipping primer means three or four finish coats — more cost than a gallon of tinted primer.
The winning approach
Update coat count to 2 (or 3) in our paint calculator when planning purchases.
Clean walls; repair flaws
One coat gray or tinted primer (ask store to tint 50–75% toward your new color)
Two finish coats of your light color — use quality paint with good hide
If still not covered, add a third finish coat rather than thinning paint
Frequently asked questions
Does gray primer work under any color?
Gray primer is popular under medium tones. For very light pastels, ask for a white primer tinted toward your topcoat. The paint desk can match primer tint to your chips.