In the early 70s, when the painter’s algorithm was developed, physical memory was relatively small<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Freiser|first=M.|last2=Marcus|first2=P.|date=June 1969-06|title=A survey of some physical limitations on computer elements|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1066403|journal=IEEE Transactions on Magnetics|volume=5|issue=2|pages=82–90|doi=10.1109/TMAG.1969.1066403|issn=1941-0069}}</ref>. This required programs to manage memory as efficiently as possible to conduct large tasks without crashing. The painter’s algorithm prioritizes the efficient use of memory but at the expense of higher processing power since all parts of all images must be rendered.<ref name=":1" />[[File:Painters problem.svg|thumb|right|Overlapping polygons can cause the algorithm to fail|285x285px]]
== Limitations ==
The algorithm can fail in some cases, including cyclic overlap or piercing polygons.
