What are Lumens?
When shopping for an electronic device, it is easy to get confused with all kinds of terminologies associated with it. One such terminology is lumens.
Lumens are a measure of the visible light emitted from a light source, such as a lamp. This measure is officially known as ANSI lumens. The more lumens, the brighter the light.
Knowing the ANSI lumens of a projector can be helpful when you are selecting your projector. You will find more information on this in the later sections of this guide.
Our guide will provide you with all the knowledge you need about lumens in projectors. Let’s begin!
What are lumens in projectors?
Lumens are the unit of measurement for a projector’s brightness. Formally, lumens are referred to as American National Standards Institute (ANSI) lumens. As a general rule of thumb, the greater the lumens count in a projector, the costlier it is.
Recommended lumens
When shopping for a projector, you should not just go for a projector with a high number of lumens. Varying number of lumens, and hence, varying levels of brightness are suitable for various situations.
Two factors determine the brightness of a screen: ambient light and size. Ambient light includes natural light and room lights. Bigger screens require more brightness.
For the best image quality, choose a projector with a high brightness for rooms with plenty of light. For darker rooms, a combination of low brightness and a high contrast ratio is best. A lumen range of 2500-5000 should work for a multi-purpose environment.
It is worth mentioning that you can make efforts to control ambient light on your end, such as pulling down a blind, or closing curtains, for optimal results.
On the other hand, when it comes to screen size, the greater the screen size, the more the required lumens to produce top-quality image.
In any case, if for instance, you own a commercial complex, and you have several different-sized rooms, lumen requirements will vary. Below, we will get you up to speed with exactly those
Small rooms
For small rooms, such as classrooms or meeting rooms, ANSI lumens rating of 3000-4000 is ideal. This brightness level is enough to project a quality image of over 80 inches.
For best results, the ambient light should be minimum.
Mid-sized rooms
For mid-sized classrooms or meeting rooms, consider buying a projector with an ANSI lumens rating in the range of 4000-5000.
Your projector would be able to deliver a quality image of over 80 inches, but this time around, you won’t have to worry about the ambient light as much.
Large rooms
For auditoriums, exhibition halls, and larger meeting rooms, you should aim for an ANSI lumens rating of 5000+. This brightness level would be powerful enough to project a 100’’+ display while dealing with high-intensity ambient light.
Outdoors
For outdoor ventures, a projector with no less than 3000 lumens is ideal depending on the image size and level of ambient light.
When outdoors, the required lumens will heavily depend on the time of the day. For instance, during the daytime, you would need a far greater ANSI lumens rating – probably over 4,000 lumens – for a clear image, whereas even 3000 should suffice at night.
FAQs
Do high lumens make for the best viewing?
No, not necessarily. The number of required lumens depends on the screen size you want and the ambient light in your surroundings.
Generally, for the best image quality, the larger the display and the more ambient light, the higher the ANSI lumens rating should be.
How many lumens do you need outdoors in daylight?
For outdoors, you should aim for a projector with at least 3000 lumens. However, to cater to varying intensities of sunlight and be on the safe side, make sure that the upper limit of the ANSI lumens rating is well above 4000.
Is 1000 lumens good for a projector?
It depends. If we consider a room with ambient light but no direct lighting on the projection screen/surface – 1000 lumens should be good enough.
However, as the ambient light gets more intense, more lumens would be required to produce a clear and good-quality image.
How many lumens is a cinema projector?
Generally, a movie theatre projector would range anywhere between 40,000 to 60,000 lumens.
Summary
To summarise, the lumens of a projector refers to the intensity of brightness that the device gives out. There are different recommended lumens for different places. 3000 lumens may be enough for smaller rooms, whereas, for larger rooms, you may require more than 5000 lumens.
You need to make the right choice depending on your needs and budget. If, for instance, you want a budget-friendly solution for your small or medium-sized room, you can resort to a projector with fewer lumens provided that you can control the ambient light.
