Thinking about painting your new projector screen yourself? Choosing and applying projector screen paint may seem like a big, arduous job, but with the right tools and a little know-how it may be a lot easier than you think. Here we will take you through the basic steps of choosing and applying projector screen paint to help you get started with your project.
Choosing Projector Screen Paint
Choosing the perfect projector screen paint largely depends on the amount of lumens—a technical term that measures brightness—produced by your home-theater projector. For those projectors producing 3,500 lumens or less, you’ll want to choose a high-quality white paint designated solely for use as projector screen paint. For projectors producing more than 3,500 lumens, a grey paint is probably the way you’ll want to go. If you’re unsure about the lumens produced by your particular projector, check the user manual or call the manufacturer directly.
Applying Projector Screen Paint
Before starting your projector screen paint job, look around the room and decide which wall would be best suited to serve as a screen. Be sure to select a wall large enough and flat enough to accommodate the project, factoring at least a 2-inch border on all sides for screen’s border. You can determine the outer borders of your new projector screen by turning on your new projector and marking the edges of the illuminated picture with a dark pencil. Be sure to try a few different channels and mark the largest illuminated area, as some picture sizes will vary slightly from one channel to the next.
Once you’ve determined the surface area of your new projector screen, mark the borders with 2-inch painter’s tape, taking your time to ensure each tape line is straight and true. Now, dim the lights and shine a flashlight on your screen area, looking carefully for any imperfections or raised areas. Once these imperfections are noted, use a putty knife, sandpaper and sheet rock mud to completely fix these spots. Remember, the goal is a completely flat area with no raised spots which could later affect your picture quality.
If the current color of your new screen—the paint on the wall—is anything but white, you’ll first want to use at least two coats of white primer paint before applying the projector screen paint. Once the primer has dried, apply the white or grey projector screen paint smoothly and evenly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This paint can be rather expensive, so be extra cautious that you do the job correctly the first time. After the projector screen paint has dried, remove the painter’s tape from around the border.
The last step is creating a border around your new projector screen. For this you could use wood molding or black projector screen tape—anything which will bring contrast to the picture to be shown on your screen.
And that’s it! You’re done! All that’s left to do now is to sit back and enjoy your new home theater system with the satisfaction of a job well done.
