DIY Projector Screen Paint Calculator

Free calculator for DIY projector screens. Recommends a specific Behr or Sherwin-Williams grey based on your room lighting (darker grey for dark rooms boosts contrast; lighter grey for lit rooms keeps brightness up), reports the approximate gain, and gives an exact paint + primer + pearl-additive shopping list based on your screen area. Coverage assumes two thin coats over a primer base.

How to paint a screen

1
Prepare the wall

Sand smooth, fill any nicks, prime with white interior primer (one coat).

2
First base coat

Roll on with a 6 mm nap roller. Even strokes, thin coats. Let dry 4–6 h.

3
Sand lightly between coats

400-grit sandpaper, just to knock down any raised dust. Wipe with a damp cloth, let dry.

4
Second coat

Same direction strokes. If using pearl additive, mix at roughly 1 oz per quart of paint and apply only to the second coat.

5
Frame and mask

Apply matte-black tape or paint a 5–10 cm black border around the projection area to absorb spill light.

Pick the right grey, the right gain and the right amount

Recommended paint
—
Approx. gain
—
Total paint
— L
Screen area
— m²

Paint recipe

A DIY painted screen costs only the price of paint and gives a flat gain ≈ 1.0 surface that rivals factory matte-grey screens for picture quality (factory screens win on flatness and edge masking, not on optics). Use a roller with a 6 mm nap, two thin even coats, sand lightly between with 400-grit. The Behr N7 family ("Silver Screen", "Polished Silver") is the AVS-recommended baseline; add a small amount of pearl additive for extra gain in lit rooms.

Features

4 room presets Realistic coverage Community-aligned Flat-gain target
Who is this tool for?
📽️ Projector Owners

FAQ

Why grey paint, not white?

White reflects too much ambient room light, washing out blacks. A neutral grey absorbs ambient light while preserving most of the projected light, dramatically boosting perceived contrast. Brightness drops slightly (~5–15 %) but black levels improve drastically (~3×).

Is a DIY screen as good as a factory screen?

Picture-quality-wise, yes — a properly painted Behr N7 surface measures equivalent to a mid-tier matte-grey factory screen. Where factory screens win: perfectly flat surface (no wall texture), tensioned edges, easier mounting and edge masking.

What about ambient-light-rejecting screens?

A DIY ALR surface is hard to make. Commercial ALR screens use micro-prismatic or saw-tooth surfaces that paint cannot replicate. If you watch in a daylight room, buy an ALR screen. For dim and dark rooms, paint is fine.

💡 Want us to improve this tool just for you?

We can — and it's free! Just send us a quick message with your idea. If you'd like to discuss it in detail, leave your email and we'll get back to you. You can stay anonymous.

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