In this day and age there are so many different paints to choose from that anybody that only slightly know what to choose can walk away with a headache. There are two major categories in which paint falls in and that is oil based and water based. Stains and also varnishes also fall in these same categories.
Oil based paints have a gloss, semi gloss, or matte finish. Oil based paint happens to wear well and makes for a good cleaning surface. Oil paint is good to use on doors, windows, or anywhere that needs a protection finish. If you need a good washable surface you can also use oil based paint on ceilings and also on walls, like oil paints usually. Always remember that if you paint over wall paper it will make it a lot harder to remove in the long run.
When painting with a water based paint it is so much easier to work with and the tools used can be washed with water, which is similar to painted surfaces to most people. It is the choice paint for walls and also for ceilings and for textured surfaces outside.
When painting any new surface it is best to use a primer. This will help because it will prevent the paint from being absorbed. Also by doing this it gives the paint something to stick to. The primer or the under coat that you use should be from the same manufacture. For a hint you can use water based primer for oil paint but you can’t use an oil based primer for water based paint. The coats of paint that you will need depend on how porous the surface being painted is and the thickness that the paint is applied, like paint cans usually. The overall quality of the paint has a big factor too.