Lumen rate is one of the most important factors that decide the quality of a projector. Different projector models can have various lumen rates.
You should understand what this number means and how it affects the graphics performance of your device. How much is lumen good for projector?
Whether a projector lumen is good or not depends on the room’s or watching conditions. You need fewer lumens in dark rooms and more lumens in a projector when watching in rooms with ambient light.
Continue reading this post to understand more about lumens!
Table of Contents
What Is Lumen?
Lumen in projectors is the measuring unit of their brightness or the amount of light it can produce. You can estimate how bright the projected images of a projector are based on its lumen.
When viewing projector products at the store, you will frequently encounter this number. Although the quality of projectors depends on many factors, devices with higher lumens are generally more expensive.
Here are some examples of lumens to help you estimate their brightness.
- A small candle – around 14 lm
- Landscape – around 50-300 lm
- A 40W bulb – 450 lm
- A 75W bulb – 1100 lm
- Street lamps in the city – 5000 lm
- The direct sunlight – 98.000 lm
A regular projector lumens rate ranges from 1000-3000 lm. Some high-end models with special components can project up to 5000 or 6000 lm.
How Much Is Lumen Good For Projector?
Each lumen rate is optimal for a certain viewing condition. Projectors used in the classroom need at least 1500 lm; those in conference halls and rooms with ambient light need more than 2500lm.
Throw Distance And Ambient Lighting
A room’s ambient light comes from many sources, such as the lamps, bulbs, and natural sunlight from the windows. It is important to understand how ambient lighting can affect your projector’s image’s visibility.
In the dark with no light, you can easily notice the bright images, and they are also more visible to the eyes. But in bright rooms, the light will become less noticeable when affected by the ambient light.
The projected images produced by your projector are also a source of light, and they suffer a similar effect. The more ambient light, the brighter your device needs to be.
Another factor to consider is viewing distance or the space between your eyes and the projected screen. Generally, the brightness of projected images will get weaker when it travels long distances.
Ambient Light From The Window
How Much Lumen Is Enough?
If projectors produce good image quality outdoors, it doesn’t mean that the pictures will be the same indoors. Each lumens rate works best in a certain condition: the distance and the amount of ambient light in the room.
When choosing a suitable lumens rate, ambient lighting is the first factor to consider. So, how many lumen for a family projector?
You need low lumens projectors if you plan to use the device in a completely dark space (with no windows or lightbulbs), such as a movie theater or home.
A projector bulb of around 1000-1300 lumens will produce the best image quality in these conditions. In large spaces with a lot of ambient light (outdoors, conference halls, or classrooms with windows), you need higher lumens rates.
So, how many lumens for projectors in the light?
The pictures need to be brighter so the light can not affect their visibility. In this case, a projector lamp of more than 3000 lm is optimal.
For viewing distance, projectors with more than 1500 lm are optimal if you stand 6-8 feet from the projected display. Combined with ambient light, the suitable number should be more than 2500 lm.
In Dark Room
How To Choose A Suitable Brightness Level?
Depending on the viewing conditions (ambient lighting and distance), you can choose the most optimal brightness level or lumen rate.
| Condition | Suitable brightness |
| Dark rooms with no light | 1500 – 2000 lm |
| Office and classroom with windows or lamps | 3000 lm |
| Large space with ambient light (church, conference halls) | More than 5000 lm |
| Bright rooms with lamps | 4000 – 5000 lm |
| Cinema | 20,000 lm |
If you want more detailed instructions, consider watching the video below.
In A Conference Hall
Why Is Lumen Important In A Projector?
Lumen is a very important factor of projectors as it indicates the brightness of the images they project. Choosing projectors with an unsuitable lumens rate to your room’s condition and purposes will decrease your viewing experience.
The high image brightness can make the pictures more visible to our eyes when they are affected by ambient light. If you use low lumens projectors outdoors, the sunlight will make the projected pictures blurry or unseeable.
However, projectors with high lumens are not always the best choice in some circumstances. If the room is dark with no ambient light, too bright projectors can hurt your eyes.
FAQS
This part will answer the commonly asked questions about lumens in projectors.
What Is The Brightness For Outdoors Projectors?
For outdoors watching in the daylight, you will need projectors with around 2500 – 3000 lumens. If the projected display is big, you should increase the lumens to 3500.
Do High Brightness Equal Excellent Viewing Quality?
Not necessarily. Too high or too low brightness will both affect the image quality of the projected pictures. It is best if you choose a suitable lumens rate based on the factors mentioned.
Which Lumen Rate Is Too Bright?
Around 2000-2500 lumens in a dark room are considered too bright and may affect your visibility.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you find the information provided in this post helpful. Overall, the best lumen rate is the one suitable for your viewing conditions and needs.
You should consider the factors above carefully when choosing a projector. If you want to know what to do when the projector says no signal, visit our website Display Central to find out.
Thank you for reading!
Michael Brown has been a lead editor of the website display-central.com for a long time. He’s been a technology examiner for almost a decade, specializing in the best display solutions such as laptops, projectors, and TVs, Mobile. Michael will provide you with helpful and relevant knowledge and advice based on his technical background.
