Seeing a projector getting turned on may trigger boredom in a classroom, or joy in a movie theater! Along with the content shown through this device, it also matters that the pictures or text displayed are visible to the audience properly.
One of the major aspects that play a role here is lumens since they dictate how much brightness the projected content will have. This in turn will decide if the people will be able to see it clearly without any eye strain. So let us tell you how many lumens projector you need for a bright room and why it matters.
What Are Lumens?
Lumen is the unit of luminous flux in the SI or metric measurement system. To put it simply, a lumen is the unit of brightness or strength of light. It represents how much visible light is being emitted from a source every second.
While it may not be a unit we use often to measure the brightness of a bulb, lumen is the most common unit used to signify the light output of projectors.
The formal terminology used in the industry is ANSI lumen which refers to the value set up by the American National Standards Institute.
How Does A Projector Differ From Other Light Sources?
For those who are not used to working with projectors, it seems like any other light source since it just produces the rays and then casts them on a screen. However, because of their purpose and application, projectors differ from other light sources significantly.
It becomes clearer when you compare the number of lumens they make with that of other common sources. Projectors have a wide range of brightness which starts from only 2000 lumens (lamp projectors) and then can continue rising to as much as 40,000 (laser projectors)!
In comparison, candles make only 14 lumens, the fluorescent office lighting is 400 lumens, lighting used in movie sets is about 1000 lumens and a light bulb of 100 watts’ power has 1600 lumens. The beautiful sunset we all love to marvel at has just 400 lumens!
How Many Lumens Projector Do I Need For A Bright Room And Why Does It Matter?
The capacity of projector that you need depends on several conditions. Let’s check them below-
Ambient Light Conditions
The number of lumens your projector should have depends a lot on the extent of brightness that the room already has by default. This can be the result of natural light getting into space, as well as the type of lighting on its interior decoration. A safe range to stick to for lumens would be between 2500 and 4000.
To compete with daylight, it should be 3000 lumens at least. For the hours when daylight is the brightest – like afternoon or early morning – it will be more effective to use projectors with 5500 lumens or more. This will guarantee an ultra HD image to be produced with all the details on the wall or a 40’ inflatable screen.
If that space is darker than usual, remember to use a higher contrast ratio with a lower level of brightness.
Otherwise, the projector may be too bright for the audience to look at. For the rooms which are well-lit or have multiple sources of light, you will need a projector with higher brightness.
Screen Size
The number of lumens required is directly proportional to the size of your screen because you need more brightness for bigger screens.
For instance, if it is about 80 inches, you can produce fairly clear pictures and good color performance with a projector having less than 3000 ANSI lumens. However, remember to manage the ambient light accordingly so that the projection shines adequately and the audience doesn’t find it difficult to adjust their vision.
Space Size
Small Spaces
If you are teaching at a school or conducting a business meeting, a good range of lumens would be 3000 to 4000. They work the best with the minimum amount of ambient light. Such rooms generally tend to be quite small compared to other professional spaces and thus the low lumen count can help you to see things.
Mid-Sized Spaces
For those of you who are working with slightly bigger spaces, the number of lumens also has to go up with the area size. So you can consider investing in a projector that produces 4000 to 5000 lumens. This additional brightness will make the displayed text more comprehensible for your students, employees or clients.
Large Spaces
To prepare for presentations in very large areas like auditoriums and exhibition halls, the projector needs to have ANSI lumens above 5000. It can produce pictures that cover areas of 100 inches or more. Besides, their capability to work great with higher levels of ambient light makes the content very easy to see.
Final Words
Now that you know how many lumens projector you need for a bright room and why it matters – you can go on finding the best one for your needs! In addition to its application, remember to take the space size and the ambient light into account before reaching the final decision.