If you've ever seen someone who owns a projector — or if you ever used one in school or at church — they most likely started by rolling down the projector screen . While a projector screen is a good way to make the image pop, it's not absolutely necessary.
Here are things to consider before buying a projector screen!
Just try projecting onto the bare wall
This one's the easiest: just project the image onto your bare wall and see how good (or bad) it looks. If you're happy with the image, awesome! If not, read the manual for your projector. It may have different color settings to account for the color of the wall.
Paint the wall
If you own your home, or if your lease allows you to, you can paint the "screen" onto the wall. You can either just paint the portion of the wall that the projector image will hit, or just paint the entire wall for a cleaner look.
But beware of "ULTRA PREMIUM 8K PROJECTOR PAINT!!11!", or something similar. It probably won't be bad, but you can just use any off-the-shelf paint mixes — or mix your own — for much less money. We've linked some resources below to help you out.
More: Make your own projector screen paint mix on YouTube
More: DIY Screen Paint formula for Dummies
More: Everything you need to know to paint a projector wall
Build your own screen
At the most basic level, a projector screen is just some cloth, a frame and some paint. There are inexpensive projector screens from vendors, but if you're feeling crafty, it's not difficult to make your own screen out of some canvas. You'll have to pay for the materials of course, but it could make for a fun weekend project.
More: How to make a DIY projector screen with blackout cloth on YouTube
More: Easy steps to build a DIY home theater projector screen on YouTube
Just buy a screen
If you can't paint your wall and don't feel like building a screen, there's nothing wrong with buying a screen that someone else has already built. You may be able to find a used one in your area, or check out our list of the best projector screens!
More: The best projector screens
What say you?
Would you prefer a proper screen, or do you think painting your wall would look nicer? Let us know down below!
