Calibrating a projector is important to do to get the best projection possible.
A new one needs to be calibrated entirely but even an existing one can need calibration if it’s moved or something changes.
What changes need to be considered and how to calibrate a projector are important to know. So let’s look at what those might be and what you can do for your projector.
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Why do Epson Projectors Need to be Calibrated?
Although Epson projectors are ready to project as soon as you get them, the image quality may not be the best.
Anything from placement and lighting to screen type and projector settings can cause a subpar image.
So, although it’s not always needed, it’s a good idea to recalibrate your projector whenever you get a new one or change an existing one.
Poor Image Quality
The default display settings in new projectors are often a general default and won’t be calibrated to your setting.
Even moving an existing projector or changing the room set up can change how the projection appears.
The quality of an image depends on a number of settings. Sometimes the changes needed are hard to notice because of all the variables.
Going through these settings one at a time is a good way to ensure you have the best image possible.
Incorrect Placement/Warped Image
When setting up a new projector or moving an existing one, the projection may not be aligned with the screen.
Misalignment can cause the image to look off at best and extremely warped at worst. Both can cause an image that’s hard to look at or watch.
What Ways Can You Calibrate an Epson Projector?
Most ways of calibrating a projector are manual. This can be either changing settings or physically changing the projector.
With the help of external devices, a projector can be automatically calibrated too.
Manual Calibration
For most manual calibration, the settings of the projector are changed to balance the display settings. The settings can easily be found within the menu of your projector.
Issues with the projection alignment can easily be solved by physically moving the projector.
Automatic Monitor Calibration Device
If color accuracy is important or manual calibration isn’t working, there is an automatic option.
Monitor calibration devices use a camera to detect the colors and brightness of the projection. They use the information to automatically change the settings of the projected image.
How to Calibrate an Epson Projector?
Calibrating Projection Appearance
The quality of the image from your projector can vary in more ways than you might think!
Even if you keep the same settings, changes in lighting, the time of day, and the projector’s position can make a huge impact on the image quality.
To notice and fix any problems you have to be aware of the five variables that control how the projection looks: contrast, brightness, saturation, hue, and sharpness.
All five are important, but it’s best to start with the contrast.
Before doing anything, set up the room how you will use it in the future; close the blinds, turn off the lights, etc.
Contrast
Contrast is the measure of how different the lightest and darkest parts of an image are from each other. If your projection looks muddy or has sharp divisions of black and white, you may need to adjust the projector’s contrast.
The exact navigation will vary depending on your projector, but not by much. Here’s how to adjust your projector’s contrast:
First, press the “Menu” button on either the projector or remote control. From there, navigate to the image settings; you may need to select the “Extended” tab to get there.
Within the image settings, there will be an option to change the contrast. Your projector may put up a testing screen for this but, if not, project an image onto the screen to test with.
Then, experiment with the contrast value until you get an image that looks the most natural to you.
The image may also be too bright or too dark to reliably change the contrast. If this is the case, you’ll need to adjust the brightness/gamma of the projector.
Brightness/Gamma
The brightness of an image, also called gamma, is the amount of power that every pixel gets universally.
If the brightness is too low, the projection will be difficult to see in a lit room. If it’s too bright, it will overpower a dark room and be hard to look at.
Balancing the brightness of the projection is important to comfortably look at the projection.
First, press the “Menu” button on either the projector or remote control. From there, navigate to the image settings; you may need to select the “Extended” tab to get there.
Within the image settings, there will be an option to change the brightness. Your projector may put up a black-to-white gradient to calibrate this setting.
Using the reference image, adjust the brightness to your liking.
If you aren’t sure what’s best, there is a simple guideline to follow: The darkest part should be near black, the lightest part should be near white.
Saturation
The saturation of an image is a measurement of how vivid the colors are.
A good way to picture this is the difference between pastel and neon colors. Pastel colors are desaturated and neon colors are saturated.
A balanced saturation level is important for making the image appear life-like.
First, press the “Menu” button on either the projector or remote control. From there, navigate to the image settings; you may need to select the “Extended” tab to get there.
Within the image settings, there will be an option to change the saturation. The projector may display a test image.
Adjust the image’s saturation so that the colors are balanced.
Too much saturation will make colors bright and lack contrast; too little and the image will be faded or even greyscale.
It may be useful to use a still image from a movie to adjust this setting. Balanced saturation is important for making people look natural on screen.
Hue
The hue of an image controls the relationship between every color. For example, changing the hue would cause a rainbow’s colors to change their order.
Having the right hue is extremely important for making an image accurate and looking natural.
First, press the “Menu” button on either the projector or remote control. From there, navigate to the image settings; you may need to select the “Extended” tab to get there.
Within the image settings, there will be an option to change the hue.
Your projector may put up a test image but it’s best to use your own. The best test image will have all colors on it to see how the hue changes everything.
This setting is the easiest to balance; adjust the hue of your projector until the image looks natural.
Sharpness/Focus
The sharpness of an image determines how in-focus it is. This setting will depend on how far the projector is from the screen.
It can be hard to tell when it’s almost right but having a focused projection makes a huge difference!
First, press the “Menu” button on either the projector or remote control. From there, navigate to the image settings; you may need to select the “Extended” tab to get there.
Within the image settings, there will be an option to change the sharpness. The projector may display a test image.
While paying close attention, carefully adjust the sharpness. If the setting is too far in either direction the image will appear blurry.
To perfect it, try to adjust the setting so that any change to it makes the image appear worse.
Using a Monitor Calibration Device
If manually changing the projection settings doesn’t work well or if your projector lacks these settings, there is an alternative: a monitor calibration device.
Monitor calibration devices use a sensitive camera to pick up specific details about the image. This information is fed to the computer and adjusts the image automatically.
While they are usually used for computer monitors, they can be set up for projection screens too!
How Do Monitor Calibrators Work
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Monitor Calibrators, like the SpyderX Pro , work by using a special camera to pick up and transmit data about how the screen displays color.
The process is typically done by running software that cycles through every available color and brightness.
The information it collects is then compared against a known standard.
The calibrator can be set up to either adjust the settings automatically or you can use the information to calibrate them yourself.
How to Use a Monitor Calibrator
Using a monitor calibrator for a projector is easy and needs minimal set-up to work!
To use a monitor calibrator, you will need to have the projector connected to a computer. The computer will be calibrated so it must be used to play the media afterward to work.
Use a tripod or a stable platform to rest the calibrator on. Put the calibrator close to the projector screen and angle it so it can see the projection.
Run the accompanying calibration software and let it run. This may take several minutes.
When the calibration is done you can automatically change the display settings or change them yourself.
Conclusion
There are multiple reasons to calibrate your Epson projector. New projectors’ default settings are often subpar and moving an existing one changes how the projection appears.
All five display variables of the projection can be calibrated manually. The five variables are contrast, brightness, saturation, hue, and sharpness.
You may want to change these display settings if the projection looks wrong or you want the best quality.
If automatic and manual calibration fails, you can troubleshoot by consulting your projector’s manual or contacting Epson support.
Vance is a dad, former software engineer, and tech lover. Knowing how a computer works becomes handy when he builds Pointer Clicker. His quest is to make tech more accessible for non-techie users. When not working with his team, you can find him caring for his son and gaming.