I would not tape. I would get an 1/2 inch angled artists brush for the smaller areas....might need to go to a hobby store

Also you will be scraping once you are done, so get lots of blades.

When doing windows, I prefer to take the time to tape. I use a 1" Purdy trim, (angled), brush. If you don't tape, you can use a straight edge razor to remove all the paint once it's dry. It's not a big deal.

I probably would not tape. I usually don't except in tight spaces where brush control is nearly impossible. The great thing about windows is that paint will scrape right off with a razor blade. Assuming you are using latex paint, I would just paint with relative care, and then once the paint dries, score the paint at the edges of the windows and then scrape. But that's just me.

I would also suggest a good quality 2"-2 1/2" angled sash brush for your project.

You might want to cut pieces of wax paper slightly smaller than the panes and tape to the glass. It will keep them clean while you work.

Otherwise you are going to have fingerprints all over them and you won't want to clean the windows until the paint has cured.

I prefer not to tape. When I tape, I tend to rely on the tape and not be so anal about my cutting in. If the tape is not 100% sealed, you end up with leakage. I do my best work without tape.

I prefer a high quality 2 1/2" angled brush For cutting in I buy the best brush I can find.

Paint when you are fresh, quit when you get tired.

I WOULD tape. It will save you a huge amount of scraping later AND you risk nicking the wood when you scrape.

Taping, with blue tape of course. :0)

If you have a steady hand I say don't tape. You get better with experience. This past winter I painted 30 exterior 6 over 6 windows (prime and 2 top coats). This spring I will be painting the interior (prime and 2 top coats). I never tape. Have a damp paper towel ready if needed. Years ago I started with 1" angled brush but now up to 2.5" (holds more paint).

If each opening is the same size, get some cardboard or plastic cut to that size and use it as a rough cover and paint carefully. That will help cut down on scraping. You just use 2 and alternate using one while the other dries. It helps to have something to lean the side of your hand on without worrying about smudges.

Bostonpam - WOW!!! I give you a lot of credit. I don't think I could've done that much painting! I'm in the process of painting all my downstairs interior doors black and I'm tired of it already. I can't imagine doing all those windows.

Dianalo - that's a good idea.

I'm going to try and go without taping. Bought a 2" angled brush today. DH has been using it to paint the interior sidelights on our front door and he said it was going pretty well. If I find I'm having a lot of issues, I think I'll give Dianalo's plan a try.

I wouldn't tape. Paint builds up on tape if you are not careful, and that buildup gets pulled onto the glass when the tape is removed. No tape, forces you to control paint delivery. Use a Purdy angle 2 or 2.5 inch brush. Lightly touch the very tip of the angled brush to the edge where molding meets glass. Paint in short strokes, refreshing the paint often, but keep the paint fairly thin on the brush. Try to avoid the glass unless it is an exterior door. With an exterior door, it's important to lap the paint on the glass, ever so slightly to prevent condensation from seeping behind the painted wood causing water damage.

Paint around each pane of glass first. Once all the panes are done, finish by painting the top rail of the door, then the side rails, followed by the bottom rail, using long strokes. Make sure you paint in the direction of the grain in all cases. End by letting the paint dry, then razor blade the glass taking great care not to scratch the glass. Often times, just cleaning the glass and using a little finger nail action when necessary is all that is needed when mistakes are minor.

I don't tape either, damp rag for ooops, and then scraping later if needed. It just takes practice and a cutting in brush- we use Purdy brushes exclusively.

Get a bar of soap and run it all around the edges of each pane of glass B4 you paint. It will wash off along with the "oops" when you're done.

I use to be a taper. But when painting our new windows two years ago, my contractor stopped me & said to do this :

Paint the windows, overlapping the paint onto the glass (you should make a seal with the paint on the glass anyway). When the paint is just dry (like within 10 minutes), scrape it off the glass with a razor blade. It will come off in long strips, generally, and you won't have to scrape & scrape & scrape like you would if the paint were too dry. You'll need a box of razor blades handy because they dull very quickly.

I don't use tape. Years of painting all the ornate trim in our former house, a Victorian, have given me a steady hand and eye so that I don't need to. Well that and very high-quality brushes of course...In fact, this summer I finished painting the walls in the master bedroom here. There are 16 old ceiling beams set into the walls at the top edge of the walls. So, two coats of paint means I had to paint around the equivalent of 64 beams, on each beam's bottom edge and two sides. (Talk about a project that seemed never-ending!) Soon, like you, I'll be painting windows and doors with many panes in them.

The problem with tape is that, unless you can apply the tape so that it follows the edge you're covering perfectly, you still run the risk either of leaving parts of your new paint job unpainted or of getting paint on something you wanted to protect.

When I do the type of painting you'll be doing, in addition to an angled brush I also use a very small artist's brush, one with fine, flexible bristles. You should be able to buy single brushes or even buy sets at a good paint store. Expect to spend major money on them. I think one of my small brushes alone cost three dollars. Anyway what I do is paint the woodwork around the panes bringing the paint almost to the corner where the woodwork right-angles to the next edge. I don't know what the correct term is, but what I do is let the paint flow off the brush such that, by the time the brush meets the corner, there is virtually no paint left. I'm trying to avoid little paint blobs in the corner. I do the same all around the pane and I let the paint dry. After it's dried thoroughly -- and only at that point -- I touch up in the corners with the artist's brush. If you can paint quickly enough you could use the artist's brush as you go. I must not paint quickly enough, as I've found that paint on the small brush may start to dry a bit.

my grandmother taught me to run a light bead of vaseline on the glass just along the woodwork. Careful to not get it on the wood. Dont tape. But with the gel, any paint mistakes wipe up easily after drying. Gracie mentioned soap, same theory.

I don't tape....
but I have a steady hand, great brushes and lots of patience!

Steady hand and a one inch brush or a small sash brush if you can find one.

I tried the Vaseline thing a few years ago.....works wonders until you have to clean up. What a mess that stuff left on the glass!

Speaking as someone who just UNTAPED an entire room I just painted... lots of touch ups.

For french doors, try a steady hand and razor off your screw ups. You will be taping forever and I bet you still have leaks (I did!).

If you do use tape, make sure to either remove it right after you finish painting, or use a razor blade to cut along the edge of the tape to break the seal if you wait.