Projector Screen Borders - Does a Black Projector Screen Border Really Matter

If you are purchasing or creating a projector screen you might be wondering whether or not you should care about if there is a black projector screen border on the edges of the screen. It may seem like such a small detail that you should not need to care about. Here is why you should care, and what type of border you will want.Why The Projector Screen Border MattersWithout a border on the screen the edges become clearly visible, and could appear brighter than the rest of the image. This effect can be extremely noticeable. With a black border around the edge of the screen the excess light is absorbed, provided that the material the border is made of is not reflective. Metal edges can sometimes make things worse even if they are black so ideally it would be some sort of fabric on all edges of the screen. Wood edges also can be extremely reflective, and painting any surface flat black will likely not provide enough light absorption.The image can appear more washed out without a black border. This can be something that is difficult to see in pictures as this difference is more so in your mind than anything. Having a black border makes the image appear brighter, and the colors just seem fuller. I have had a homemade screen without any border, and then decided to add some black covering over the edges of the screen. It was a very noticeable improvement, and really added to the experience.How Big Should The Black Border Be?Ideally the size of the border around the screen will be at least two inches. If the screen is going to hang a ways down from the top of the ceiling the entire area above the reflective portion of the screen should be black. If the screen is white it will be very distracting. Velvet is the ideal material for this border as black velvet is fantastic for absorbing light. There are also glue backed black fabric tapes especially created for use with painted projector screens.I hope that you now understand why you should have a projector screen border. It is really difficult for me to show you exactly how much of a difference it will make, and is something that you will need to experience for yourself. It is very much like a picture frame, you could just stick the picture out there without any frame, but just as a good frame enhances a photograph it will enhance the image from your projector.