Early on, we talked about creative uses for a projector, such as interactive whiteboard, having your own laser light show, and using it as a background for artist canvas. But little did we know that projectors for artist is serious stuff.
Artists and content creators rely on several tools to produce the best kind of content/art. Think about it that art is not on a smooth canvas or wall, it could be on any uneven surface.
Things to Look for Before Buying an Artist Projector
Brightness
Many consumer-grade projector units provide images that are too washed out to be very useful for artists. If you plan on tracing images projected onto a screen, then you need a bulb that can provide good color reproduction without being oppressively bright. Performance artists who need projectors for use with video presentations or who want to showcase conceptual work will need brighter bulbs.
Scale
Every artist projector designed for tracing art has to be able to scale up images without distorting them. If you plan to do any kind of mural, then you’ll need a projector that supports a high level of magnification. Once again, performance artists will want something that can display moving pictures sharply.
Price
Artists who have to drag their equipment with them between different studios will often wear their projectors out quickly. Don’t buy something expensive if you know it’ll eventually get ruined from daily use. You might want to buy a higher-end unit for use in your own studio and a less expensive one to carry around with you.
Size
Art teachers, in particular, won’t want something that’s too big. Try to get something that balances size with the build quality. You don’t want to invest in a flimsy unit, but you also want to make sure that it’s small enough to fit in a bag with your other art supplies. Consider the kind of tripod or mount you’re using and how much weight it can handle.
Best Digital Projectors for Artists
Artograph Flare150 Art Projector
Pros:
• Purpose-built for use in tracing
• Very compact
• Features 36 built-in drawing grids to project either alone or over the artwork
• Can run off batteries or line power
Cons:
• Users complain that the remote control doesn’t always function properly
• Sizing and aspect ratio correction can be difficult
• Buttons are too small for some artists
Artograph, by the look and feel, seems to be the perfect projector for artists, but it tend to be on an expensive side It supports image magnification levels of anywhere from 125-400 percent when connected to any USB device. Artists can sideload JPG, PNG, BMP or PDF files and expect that their Flare150 unit will give them the freedom to trace any of these on a larger piece of material. You shouldn’t have any compatibility problems regardless of what kind of drawing software you’re using.
Those who are working with canvas or doing wall murals will especially like that they’re able to project a grid over the picture.
BIGASUO Projector
Pros:
• Makes less noise than most units on the market
• Compatible with a large number of different kinds of devices
• Supports an amazing 3000:1 contrast ratio even when scaling images up to 1920×1080
Cons:
• Can easily overheat if vents are blocked
• Doesn’t support some kinds of still images
• While it only weighs slightly over three pounds, the housing is kind of bulky
If you’re looking to get the most out of even the smallest images, then the BIGASUO might be right for you. While it’s not going to let you accurately trace everything, it can display a majority of pictures at 70 percent more brightness than the original material. This makes it easy to project dark presentations that were originally done in charcoal.
ViewSonic PX700HD Home Theater Projector
The ViewSonic PX700HD 1080p is a super powerful projector meant for home theaters and game, and can project brightly on screens up to 300 inches. Now that’s not the common case for most artists but it can make for good use in outdoor displays or larger art galleries. For those artists that are serious about their work, this is a great option. You’ll never run into issues with displays being too weak or dim, and you can use it to watch movies or play call-of-duty on the weekends.
Pros
- 3500 Lumens of Brightness
- Up to 300 Inch DIsplay
- 15,000 Hour Lens Life
- Super Color Technology
- 3 Year Warranty
Cons
- Users have reported some issues displaying “rainbow” effects, but this mainly effects gaming.
Prima Pocket Projector
You might think of Prima as only for entertainment , but Prima's portability makes it easy for artist to carry it around. Not to mention, its three hours battery life makes sure that the artist's work is done! Prima can project up to 200 inches diagonally, and has 200 lumens of brightness. Many say that 200 lumens might not be so bright, but it gets enough light for quick work. Lamp life also has 20,000 hours in it.
If you are looking to get the most out of your pocket (literally!), Prima pocket projector is a safe choice. Sound is decent enough, and its built in Android software makes it easy to download apps on the go.
Pros:
- Decent projection of up to 200 inches.
- Ultra-portable
- Can be easily charged with a powerbank
- Comes with remote control
Cons:
- Too sensitive touch screen
- Brightness might not be enough for bright environments