PE and then paint?

all the Xtra work involved in trying to carefully remove the paint on the spots where the glue is going    nah    glue then paint

I would also add to clean up the PE before adding it, and shoot a light coat of primer before painting basecolors, some enamels have a hard time sticking to "naked" PE.

In my experience it depends on the model. If the color is the same such as the rails and the hull, it is easier to install first then paint after. If the colors are different, assemble the part if it requires assembly and then paint it seperately before installing it. Remember to remove paint where the part needs to be glued since even CA glue does not stick well to paint. All things baing equal, it is in my experience, better to install the PE and then paint. Be sure to use an airbrush.