Projector Screens

Buying a projection screen can be a taxing experience, both on your mind and on your wallet. We know the drill: you just spent big bucks on that new projector of your dreams, and now you're looking for a screen to match it. Well here's something you probably haven't thought about -- a paint-on screen.

If you're looking to save some money or you're just the kind of person who likes the occasional do-it-yourself project, creating a paint-on screen is an affordable way to buy a projection screen and the results are comparable with any of the other high-end screens that we sell! All you need is some screen paint, a wall, and some spare time to make it all happen.

In the following guide, we're going to take you through all of the necessary steps, from buying to application, of the perfect paint-on screen. If you have any questions, please call us toll-free at (800) 331-7763 and we'll answer any questions you may have.



The type of screen paint that you should buy is very reliant on the contrast ratio of your projector. If the projector that you plan to use has a high contrast ratio, we suggest that you go with a white screen paint like our Screen Goo CRT White Paint, because you won't have any problems seeing dark blacks in your picture. However, if you're using a projector that has a lower contrast ratio, we recommend that you use a grey screen paint, such as our Screen Goo Digital Grey Paint, in order to make your image show deeper blacks.



Another big factor in selecting your screen paint is the amount of ambient light that you have in the room that you'll be painting. Generally, if you have a high or medium amount of ambient light in your room, you'll want to buy a grey paint to assist in displaying darker colors. However, if your room has a low amount of light, or no light at all, your best bet would be to buy a white screen paint, which will give you a pristine reflection of the images being projected. See below for a comparison of the different levels of ambient light:

After you figure out the color that you should buy, the next step is to determine how much paint you'll need for your screen. A good rule of thumb is that for every 50 square feet of screen space, you'll want to have 1 liter of basecoat and 1 liter of topcoat, each. That will give you four thin coats of paint (two basecoat, two topcoat) for every 50 square feet. However, if you're mistake prone or just want a thicker coat of paint, we offer plenty of sizes of paint for you to pick from!



The final step in your screen paint purchase should always be a bit of low-reflection black paint to create a frame for your picture. Although it's not a necessity in creating your projection screen, we have found that having a black border around the picture greatly enhances the appearance of image contrast by giving your eye a dark "reference point". To take care of this job we sell Ultra Black Screen Goo or the tape-on solution of a low reflection Black Screen Flok.

After you've gone through steps 1 through 4, make your purchase and move down to our screen paint application guide!



Before we go any further, you need to make sure that you've got the right roller for the job! We recommend a 1/4" nap, wool, and polyester blend roller, or any roller that says that it's made for smooth and gloss surfaces. If at all possible, do not use a foam roller. For best results, use our Goo Systems Roller with Handle to do the job!



You want your screen surface to be as smooth and flat as possible. If your wall is textured, it needs to be sanded down and then cleaned off prior to the screen paint being applied. Porous, wood based, and/or colored wall surfaces should be sealed with a flat white latex primer prior to being coated with a screen paint.

Now is also a good time to configure your projector so that you can get an idea for how your screen is going to look. Make sure that your surface is even on the top and the bottom, and that the sides are also even. Make sure that the corners are square. After all of that, leave an inch on all sides of the projected image and mark off the area that you'll be painting.



Now you're ready for some painting. Pour about 200mL of your base coat into a paint tray and load your roller lightly and evenly. You'll want to get enough for about two columns worth of painting. Apply the coatings to your wall using vertical strokes and cover the full height of your screen. You don't want the coating density to be very thick -- just enough to cover the surface underneath. Finish applying the paint to the entire width of your screen and get ready to apply a second coat very shortly.

You're going to want to apply your second coat of screen paint within 2-3 minutes of the original paint strokes, or else you may witness vertical streaks if you don't. Try to apply the second coat of paint in exactly the same manner as you did for the first coat, and when you're finished, give it about 2 hours to dry.

After two hours has passed, repeat the same procedure for applying the top coat of paint. Be sure not to let more than 2 or 3 minutes pass between your first and second layers of top coat! Let your screen dry for 24 hours.



The easiest way to frame your screen is to build a frame out of wood trim from a hardware store, paint it with a low-reflection black paint, and mount it on your wall. However, if you want to paint the wall directly, you should use a high-quality painters or masking tape and mask an area 2-3 inches around the perimeter of your screen. Wait at least 24 hours to apply the tape to your screen surface! After masking the area, just paint your wall with a low-reflection black paint and allow it a minimum of 6 hours to dry.

After all of that is done, you're now ready to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

And remember, if you have any questions about buying or using screen paint, please call us and one of our customer service specialists will be sure to help you out.