DIY Projector screen paint

Many enthusiasts will not be too crazy about constructing a built-up home theater screen so most consider projection screen paint as an alternative… With new technology in paint pigment, Now home theater enthusiasts have the option of a paint-on screen over building or purchasing one and Goo systems has the best movie screen paint on the market.

Specifically formulated for home theater projector screen setups, Goo systems projector screen paint contains special pigmented particles that precisely control screen gain and virtually eliminates those glaring hot spots. Goo systems projection screen paint comes in many different flavors of white and or gray. Each shade is specifically designed to control a certain level of contrast and choosing the right shade will entirely depend on the type of movies you mostly watch. But for most, the matte or CRT white will do just fine.

Obviously, home theater projector screen paint is much cheaper than purchasing a production screen. It is however, somewhat competitive in pricing to constructing a built up fabric over wood screen. Here is an article on my home built projection screen… A lot of new enthusiasts will argue that projector screen paint is no different than conventional interior wall paint like you would find at Lowe’s or Home Depot, and would probably not be worth the added expense. Hmmm, let’s discuss that a little…

The latest technology in Home theater projector screen paint has dramatically advanced the formulation… In the past screen paint was actually no different than conventional wall paint, but with the advancement in pigment technology, they are able to create a very competitive product to that of a DIY or a production manufactured home theater screen.

Goo Systems Screen Goo offers a complete line of products, ranging from natural to 100 % pure white, to a barrage of gray shades.

Note: Gray shades will definitely improve contrast on movies that are produced in a darker setting, but in my humble opinion, Matt white is best if you like, a variety of different movie types.

Preparing for and painting a home theater projector screen is relatively easy. Most home theater authorities will tell you to just mask off the selected screen area and start painting by either rolling or spraying it on. However, there is one aspect that I rarely see them mentioning. The wall texture, and how it will affect the image.

In my mind, common sense tells me that flattening down the wall texture before applying the projector screen paint would guarantee a much better subtends (view angle) reflection. Painting straight over wall texture will create an image that reflects light almost at a parallel angle to the screen. Not to mention all the other angles that will reflect away from the audience. This is due to the uneven surface of the texture. This will leave you with an unbelievably poor image quality in comparison to a smooth substrate

I highly recommend masking off your screen area and sanding wall texture completely flat. I suggest starting with 120 grit working your way down to as fine as you possibly can stand then spraying on the screen paint. This will produce a very high quality painted on screen.

Home theater projector screen paint products are definitely more expensive than your conventional wall paints. They actually can cost more than double if you were to build a fabric over wood home theater screen. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of building vs. painting a projection screen… One is cheaper, but takes more work and the other is slightly more expensive and is less work. But if you’re weighing towards painting your screen, I would budget for at least $200 depending on which screen paint you go with.

Note: For every 2 liters of screen paint which will sufficiently cover up to 100 inch 16:9 aspect ratio screen.

The Goo Systems CRT White projection screen paint will certainly produce superior image quality over using something form, lets say Lowes or Home Depot brand of white acrylic paint. The Goo Systems screen paint is designed to produce a far clearer and brighter reflection due to the special light reflective pigmented particles in the product.

If you’re still considering using a conventional white acrylic paint, and are not too particular about things, then you’ll probably find that buying a high grade acrylic white paint from Lowe’s or Home Depot may be acceptable. If this works for you, be sure to sand your wall texture flat prior to applying (I highly recommend spraying) your selected screen paint.

Goo Systems projector screen paint:

Goo Systems has a full line of specially formulated projection screen paints, branded as ‘Screen Goo’ that will allow you to use your wall as an effective fixed projection screen! This is by far a superior product home theater use over conventional interior wall paint

This method is perfect for any budget-minded home theater enthusiast. Projection screen paint will allow you to transform a smooth printable substrate into a quality projection screen.

Again, picking the right shade is crucial and completely depends on the style of movies you mostly watch. If you watch a lot of dark shaded movies you’re going to want a gray shade. But, gray shade screens will leave brightly produced movies with a washed out or muddy look as it will effect contrast ratio and vice versa. So pick your screen paint shade carefully.

Something else to keep in mind…Projectors on the less-expensive side generally will have lower light illumines and if used in conjunction with a gray shade screen, most likely you’ll wind up with a low gamma image. For this exact reason I highly recommend going with CRT White or matte white. But if you are still unsure of what shade you should go with, the Goo Systems website has a shade Calculator to help you determine the right projection screen paint shade you should use.

Matching projection screen paint characteristics to your projector can greatly improve the results of image quality in comparison to the more expensive fixed or motorized home theater screens. A DIY painted screen will take a little more effort than hanging up a production manufactured fixed or motorized screen, but overall, this is a great alternative to the ladder.

Bottom Line: In order to achieve maximum results regardless of your projector screen paint of choice, always start with the smoothest substrate as possible otherwise you’ll have a screen that reflects light every direction except towards the audience.

More information on home made screens & projector screen paint here.
Goo Systems projector screen paint.