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. Paint falls into two main categories, oil based and water based. Varnishes and stains also fall under the same categories.
Paints that are oild based come in gloss, semi gloss, or matte. Oil based paint happens to wear well and makes for a good cleaning surface. It is good to use oil based paint on doors, windows, or jsut about anywhere that needs to have a finish that provides a protection. You can use oil based paint on wall and ceiling if you require a tough washable surface, like painted surfaces usually. Always remember that if you paint over wall paper it will make it a lot harder to remove in the long run.
Water based paint is much easier to work with this is because the brushes and all painting tools can be cleaned using only water, which is similar to painting tools 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 painting materials usually. The overall quality of the paint has a big factor too.