The disclosure relates to an applicator, in particular a printhead, for applying a coating agent, in particular a paint, to a component, in particular a motor vehicle body component or an add-on part for a motor vehicle body component, having at least one nozzle row with a plurality of nozzles for dispensing the coating agent in the form of a coating agent jet, the nozzles are arranged one behind the other in a nozzle plane along the nozzle row at a specific nozzle spacing, and having a plurality of actuators for controlling the release of coating agent through the individual nozzles, the actuators each having an outer dimension along the nozzle row. The disclosure provides that the nozzle distance between the adjacent nozzles of the nozzle row is smaller than the outer dimension of the individual actuators along the nozzle row.