cut in

In painting, the term "cut in" refers to the technique of carefully painting a straight line along the edges of a surface, such as where a wall meets the ceiling, corners, or around trim, windows, and doors. This is typically done with a brush before using a roller to fill in the larger areas.

Cutting in is essential for achieving clean, professional-looking results and is usually done freehand by skilled painters without the use of masking tape. It requires a steady hand and good brush control.

In the context of a painting contractor or tradesman in Australia, cutting in is a standard part of interior and exterior painting jobs and is often one of the first steps in the painting process.