The art world has moved on a long way since the days when the only way to see art was by visiting galleries and museums.
Now the digital world is fully integrated into the daily lives of many working artists and other professionals who are involved in the industry.
Projectors are commonly used for screening films, montages of clips or even still images. They can also be used during lectures or lessons in schools and colleges, in studios and other art spaces. They are a great way, as an artist, to display your work to an audience.
This guide aims to compare and review the best projectors for artists.
Contents
What kind of art projectors are there?
There are a range of art projectors available from small, lower powered units that are suitable for dark spaces, classrooms or lecture theaters to higher power products that can deal with much larger spaces and even outdoor use.
The wattage and lumen rating will often define how much you will need to pay but many art projectors also include a range of additional features such as zoom, built-in speakers or filters that can be applied. Some units vary considerably in size which can also make a difference in terms of both price and performance.
Smaller units are not necessarily cheaper, however, those that use less power can be less expensive than those with higher power outputs.
Connectivity is something that many buyers think about and some projectors can be directly connected to WiFi or Bluetooth in order to stream media from other devices or online sources.
At the other end of the scale, older or more basic projectors will need to be connected with standard cables and will not have as many additional features.
Some of the higher end projectors now support both blue and red 3D so if you work in digital mediums or perhaps need to show films as part of a lecture or presentation, this could be a great feature for you.
Safety is a big consideration for many people, especially if the unit you buy is going to be used in a public space and most projectors will have some kind of cooling system or possibly a fire-resistant material to prevent accidents.
Noise reduction is generally provided to ensure you aren’t disturbed while giving lectures and many models include built-in speakers that can fill medium to large sized rooms with ample sound.
Other things to take into consideration when buying digital art projectors include image quality of displayed images, contrast ratio whether or not full HD is available, brightness and lamp life.
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Our List of the Best Projectors For Artists
EUG Portable LCD LED Video Projector
- 【Mini Portable 1080p Projector】our movie projector is designed for home and...
- 【High Resolution Projector】mini projector 1080p supported with 3000 lumen can...
- 【Digital Video Projector】HD projector 1080p supported can widely connect to TV...
// Last update on 2023-03-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you are looking for both portability and cinema-quality resolution, the EUG portable video projector has the technology to display up 16.7 million color shades that will look vibrant and clear. As it is compatible with both 720p and 1080p screens, you can expect crystal clear reproduction of both still and moving images every time.
3D films or pictures will look outstanding and though it won’t work with blue ray based 3D any complex art work you may need to project from a USB or Bluetooth source will look great thanks to the powerful 2500 lumen bulb.
Though this will be too much for smaller spaces, it will be ideal for outdoor exhibitions or very large rooms. It also has built-in dual speakers for 5w stereo sound, which is more than adequate for most exhibitions, though you can connect additional surround sound or Bluetooth devices if you need to.
For projecting films in your backyard or perhaps showing screenings of brand new photography slide shows, this device is ideal. It can also be used for general purposes such as watching TV and movies that are streaming from DVD players, Sky boxes or USB sticks.
Connectivity is excellent and there are two HDMI ports, two USB ports as well as AV, TV and VGA connectors. This means you can play media directly from hard drives or other devices and switch between sources if you need to. If you plan to use this digital projector in a school, college or university the compact size means it can be transported from room to room easily.
It is also simple to set up and pack away without any technical knowledge.
The zoom feature, flip function and vertical keystone functions add a touch of versatility and the one year warranty means you have peace of mind when you buy. Overall this is a good balance between power and portability so if you happen to need a powerful art projector for use in multiple spaces such as museums, art galleries or cinemas, this is definitely a good potential option.
- Compact and portable
- Multiple connectivity options
- HD and 3D compatibility
EUG Outdoor Theater LCD Projector
- Excellent image technology: The video projector has 1920*1080P resolution, with...
- High-brightness LED projector: adopts advanced Bridgelux LED lamp, which can provide...
- Excellent sound effect: Through the built-in dual 5W high-fidelity speakers, accurate...
// Last update on 2023-03-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you need a powerful art projector for very large spaces or outdoor events, the EUG is custom-designed to perform perfectly in low light conditions. You can enjoy full HD reproduction of any images or film project, whether you are working in 720 or 1080p.
The AAC color enhancement technology is designed to ensure that your display will be clear, accurate and technically able to render up to 16.7 million different color shades. This means that films will look exceptionally sharp and well defined so you can enjoy the full spectacle of whatever you happen to be projecting at the time.
The sound is very well taken care of with the integrated stereo speakers which produce 5w of clear, surround sound. If you need a little extra power you can also connect this device to a home audio system with a standard-sized RCA jack or use Bluetooth connectivity to hook up to a Sonos style speaker.
There are also two HDMI inputs, 2 USB inputs and the device will work with everything from DVD players through to the latest consoles, streaming technology and laptops.
This is a particularly powerful art projector at 3200 lumens and the enhanced LED means you won’t have to worry about eye strain or glare. Power consumption is less than you may expect from such a powerful unit as the new style bulb is designed to consume far less energy than traditional types.
With proper care and maintenance, the manufacturers say this will last up to 17 years, which is certainly reassuring if you are considering making a purchase.
- 3200 Lumen output
- Built-in speakers
- Universal compatibility
Pocket Smart Wifi Wireless Mini Projector
No products found.
If you are looking for a compact and portable projector, the Pocket Smart wireless mini is a great solution that doesn’t require additional cables.
Ideal for indoor use and quick to set up, you can connect your devices to the same WiFi signal as the projector itself and use the app to control it from your tablet, smartphone or laptop. This makes delays at the beginning of presentations a thing of the past and also means you won’t have to remember to pack any additional equipment.
Those who would like a device that can be used as both an art projector and part of a home cinema set up will definitely benefit from this product as it can perform equally well in both situations.
With a brightness of 1500 lumens and an excellent maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, you can enjoy fantastically clear images, high contrast, great color and detail.
There are also no problems with things like rainbow effect or blurring. Though it is a compact and easily portable device, you can enjoy a large, clear image on a screen of up to 130 inches at a throw distance of 2.53-11.65 feet.
This means small gallery spaces, home-based exhibitions or even screenings of films in smaller rooms are all possible with this cost-effective and good quality unit.
As a lower power digital projector, this won’t eat up too much electricity, which is great news for those on a smaller budget. There is also a remote control, user manual and av cable included in the box. Overall, though this will not be powerful enough for very large rooms or outdoor use, it is an absolutely ideal art projector for indoors or in the home.
- WiFi connectivity
- Portable and compact
- High-Quality image projection
Flare150 Digital Projector by Artograph
- Compact led digital art projector from the popular Artograph digital art projector...
- Battery or electrical operation, light-weight, compact, portable
- One-touch grayscale, keystone adjust, rotate, and magnify images: Jpg, png, bmp, pdf
// Last update on 2023-03-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Artograph are well known for making top quality art projectors and the Artograph Flare150l is considered one of the best compact units available at the moment. The image quality is excellent and you can expect 1280x720p resolution from its bright, 150 lumen rated bulb.
If you need to use this digital art projector on the move it uses both battery and mains electricity power so you won’t always need a power source. This is great for those who need to set up quickly or perhaps project images somewhere without an available plug socket.
This is a diverse and well-crafted unit that includes 36 built-in grids that can be projected either by themselves or as an addition to artwork on canvases, sheets or walls. Settings such as magnify, rotate and greyscale allow you to manipulate images and it also supports most file types, including jpg, pdf and png.
Though some mac users may need to purchase an additional adapter, this digital projector can be used in conjunction with the vast majority of digital sources including tablets, pcs, laptops and smartphones.
The battery will last up to two hours and is fully rechargeable and the lens can cope with small, medium and large size images without a problem. If you happen to run into any problems during the first year, the included warranty will cover you and you can also expect ongoing technical support for the life of the product.
Overall, the Artograph Flare150 is an awesome all-around art projector that will be ideal for art shows, film screenings, tracing work or showing still images. It is the perfect choice and our No.1 recommendation.
- Compact and portable
- 2-hour battery life
- 36 built-in grids
EUG 2600 Lumen Multimedia Home Theater Cinema Projector
No products found.
For outdoor use and projecting in larger spaces, this powerful, 2600 lumen digital projector offers breathtaking reproduction of both still and moving images.
It has a native resolution of 1024x600dpi and a contrast ratio of 2500:1 which is extremely high quality. This is partly due to the five-layered lens that has been created to aid transmittance but the overall build quality of the unit is excellent, too.
Unlike many outdoor projectors, this product has been manufactured to run without excessive noise, though it does contain cooling fans that will stop it from overheating. This kind of digital projector is perfect for very large auditoriums or outdoor use and will work with practically any media device. USB and HDMI ports come as standard and it also features Bluetooth connectivity if you need to use additional speakers to boost sound.
Though this is a little more expensive than some of the other art projectors on the list, it does have a range of additional features such as 3D compatibility, built-in TV tuner and USB flash drive capability (This means you can play media directly without the need for a PC or tablet, though it does still work with standard laptops, smartphones and tablets.)
Safety is well taken care of and the shell is ABS, flame retardant material that is FCC approved. The temperature should remain constant due to the twin fan system and power consumption is a reasonable 170W so you won’t need to worry about running up huge electricity bills.
Whether you plan to screen content from consoles, show short films or slideshows of your latest artistic creations, this is one of the most advanced art projectors on the market today.
- 5 layer HD Optical Glass Lens
- 3D compatible
- USB and Bluetooth connectivity
Projectors Not on the List
Why the Artograph EZ Tracer is not on the list: The Artograph EZ Tracer is not a bad digital projector by any means but we have heard several reports of it producing a blurry output and messy color which if using it for your art just is not going to cut it, so that is why we left it off the list.
Factor to Consider When Buying a Projector
Do You Want a Digital or an Opaque Projector?
First things first, you need to decide what type of projector you want.
Digital Projectors
In this modern-day most people are using digital artist projectors that connect to a device such as a computer or mobile phone and project whatever is displaying on the screen of the device.
Opaque Projectors
Opaque projectors are the old school ones that shine a light behind whatever is placed on them. They can be used to project an image of a document, book, piece of art, drawing or anything that will allow some of the light to pass through.
This guide to the best art projectors focuses on digital projectors only so if you do need an opaque projector you will need to look elsewhere I’m afraid!
Size & Weight
The projectors for art vary quite a bit in both size and weight so you need to think about what you will be using it for and where. If you need to take it to various different places it’s best to go for something small and light.
Brightness
If you are using your digital projector to display art you need it to be bright enough, to consider the lumens (brightness of the light) and the size of the room you will be using it in.
The ANSI lumen rating is a calculation of the light emitted and the larger the room the greater the number of ANSI lumens required to properly showcase your art. Smaller rooms require around 200-300 ANSI lumens with larger rooms requiring 400-600.
Scale
A projector is essentially displaying images at a much larger scale and it is important what you are showing looks crisp and is not blurry when scaled up.
There will be an upper limit of how large you can scale up to without the images becoming blurry so consider this if you need to use the projector in a large room. Cinema-centric projectors can be used for larger rooms.
Price
Artist projectors vary considerably in price so as with any purchase consider your budget and what you need it for.
Connection
There are many different devices by many different brands that you could use to connect to a projector.
For laptops consider whether you are using a PC, laptop or Apple Mac. Check compatibility with different operating systems such as OX and Windows or Android for tablets and mobile phones.
Hopefully, this guide will help you find the best digital art projector, good luck with your search!
