If you are considering purchasing a mini projector but don’t want to pay the extra cost of also buying a screen, you may wonder if you can use your wall. The short answer is, thankfully, yes! You can use your wall, but some key things must be noted to ensure your image looks good.
How Does A Projector Work On A Wall?
A projector throws an image by throwing light on a surface, and that surface reflects that light to our eyes. The characteristics of that surface will impact how bright and clear the picture is. The smoother and more reflective the surface, the more colourful and precise the image. However, the flip side is that if your wall is dark or rough, it is going to absorb light, and therefore, the picture will appear dull, the image will be less sharp, and it will likely be hard to see, especially if there is some light in the room.
Even though screens are designed to reflect light evenly, walls typically do not. Floors and walls can often be rough and/or coloured in ways unsuitable for good picture performance. Many people use projectors on their walls without screens, particularly during a casual movie night or video game.
What Happens If You Use A Wall Instead Of A Screen?
If you project on a standard wall, what to expect:
- Lower brightness if your wall is dark, uneven, or any combination of the two.
- Less sharpness if the wall is not smooth.
- Less accurate colour as the paint is going to absorb colour values differently than what a screen will absorb.
- Any imperfections in the wall, such as holes or bumps, will be visible in bright scenes.
With some simple adjustments, you can obtain a decent image from your projector without purchasing a screen separately.
What Type of Wall is Best for Projecting?
Not every wall works great for a projector, but if you plan to utilize a wall as a screen, here is what you want to be aware of:
1. Wall Color is Important:
- White Walls: Directly work for use with a projector if your projector is not super bright and/or your room has some light in the environment. Brightness will generally seem brighter over darker colours, while black levels of the picture and richness of colours will likely show poor performance.
- Light Grey Walls Work best for darker rooms or home theatre applications. Light grey increases contrast and black levels in images; however, it requires a brighter projector.
- Don’t pick a wall colour that is too dark. The Navy would not be great, and a black wall would absorb too much light, almost destroying the image.
2. Smooth Wall is Best for Image Performance:
Your wall needs to be as smooth as possible. This includes wallpaper, texturing, or brick walls. Each of these will create shadows or uneven colour picture performance presented to the viewer. If your wall is marked up or has quite a bit of texture, you can sand down the texture or paint the wall with a product used as an HDMI projector screen.
3. Appropriate Flat Surface:
You must ensure space in the area and a wall large enough to fit your projected image size. A wall needs to be flat. For example, if any figure, shelf, or knickknack is blocking the picture, you may want to reconsider the ideal flat wall for the line of sight.
Should You Use Projector Screen Paint?
If you plan to continue using a wall as a screen and are committed to using walls as a projector screen, a good option is to invest in a Paint-like™ product for projectors. Paint-like products are designed to work best at reflecting light. Typically, they ensure consistent uniformity in maintaining and producing contrast and high colour levels when utilizing a projector to screen an image.
Screen paint is available in white, grey, or silver, so choose the option based on your projector’s and your room’s brightness. A wall painted with screen paint produces superior results than consistently using wall paint and is significantly cheaper than buying a large screen.
Projector brightness is measured in lumens—if the projector does not have enough lumens, it produces images that appear washed out, even on a wall, mainly if you use an exceptionally bright light source to illuminate the wall.
As a rough estimate, the recommended room lighting lumens are as follows:
- Darkroom: 1,500 – 2,000 lumens (for example, YG300 Mini Projector)
- Dim room: 2,000 – 3,000 lumens
- Bright room: 3,000+ lumens (for example, HY300 Android Projector)
If your wall colour is grey, as a rule of thumb, you will need your projector to be brighter to maintain the colour and quality of an image.
Can You Watch Movies and Play Games Without a Screen?
Yes, watching movies and playing games via projection onto a clean, medium-light colour wall is possible. The image will not appear the same and completely mimic professional theatres, but it will work and be enjoyable. For optimal use of a wall:
- Turn off the lights or use the projector at night.
- Close curtains to keep sunlight out.
- Sit in front of the image where light falls directly on the wall.
When to Buy a Screen Instead of Using a Wall:
Consider purchasing a screen if the following applies:
- You want the best picture quality.
- You primarily use a projector during the day and in rooms with lots of light.
- You notice that your wall causes the quality of the picture to be blurry or dull.
- You have a high-resolution projector (4K or above) and want to see all the image details.
Screens are designed to reflect light better and protect the image quality produced by the projector, primarily if you have invested in serious home theatre with the capability to project high-resolution images.
Final Thoughts
A projector can work solely on a wall, and for occasional use, it works sufficiently or just fine for watching movies, sports, or video games, provided the wall is adequately prepared for use. A smooth, medium-light colour wall should produce the best results.