Grey wall vs. white wall: Which is better for a projector?

Question

Is there a special paint for projectors?

Answer 1

Thats depend if you can control the illumination of the room, if you have full control of the illumination you can go with white if not, you need a high lumens output projector and a Grey screen will help to enhanced the contrast, there is an special paint its call Goo system but its expensive but you cant wrong with matte grey or white paint.

Answer 2

It depends on the contrast ratio, brightness and type (e.g. LCD, DLP) of projector ... and your preference.

In general, lower contrast ratio projectors can benefit from a light grey screen (it tends to enhance the perceived black level), but the gain (ratio of brightness relative to a specified white surface) is usually less than a white screen, so it's not a great idea with a low brightness projector.

Note that the grey needs to be a neutral grey, otherwise there will be colour shifts.

See the 1st link for a primer on choosing the right screen material

There are commercial screen paints (Goo systems), but you can also find great info on DIY screen paints at the DIY Screen Section of AVS Forum (See 2nd link as a starting point).  

I've made two screens -- one using Behr "Silverscreen" commercial paint, and one using blackout cloth -- and both worked out well (and each cost less than $100) ... so you can do it yourself.

If I had it to do again I'd probably look into one of the DIY current favourites ... using laminate. It is relatively cheap, can be ordered in sizes up to 5'x10' and can be simply stuck to a wall ... no painting necessary. See the 3rd link and look for threads on laminate.

Hope this helps.