Drive-in Worx - Material

Drive-in Worx

Building a Screen

Material

Material

Screen Material
There are a variety of screen materials that can be used in the construction of an outside theater. To achieve the highest quality picture, professional grade screen materials are the ultimate choice. You can learn about these by looking at the Buying a Screen link above.

If you're considering building your own screen, however, price is probably a consideration. Some reasonably priced and readily available alternatives do exist. Each has benefits and drawbacks.For weather resistance and durability both nylon and polyester options exists. These have semi translucent properties which can enable them to be used as dual (front or rear) projection surfaces. The white variations of these tend to be very "hot", producing bright spots and uneven image quality results. We have experimented with light gray variances which can produce reasonable results when a higher contrast option is desired (see our screen gain page for more information on contrast).

Our favorite, reasonably priced projection material is a mid weight, bleached muslin cloth. This is a natural fiber and is prone to shrinkage, however we have used it in damp and wet conditions without experiencing shrinkage to a degree that impacted the picture. We usually border it with a heavy weight, black duck cloth. This makes a durable border suitable for attaching grommets or snaps to support mounting it to the screen frame. It can be difficult to find the muslin in wide sizes for large screen applications.

We will provide links to sources for construction materials in the "Sources" link above shortly. Please check back soon.

Building a Screen