Projector test pattern
A projector test pattern is a still image for lining up a projector before the show. It only tells the truth when it is made at the projector's native resolution and played with no scaling. Most event projectors are 1920 × 1080 or 1920 × 1200. Open Ratio.
Make a 1920 × 1080 pattern Make a 1920 × 1200 pattern
What to check, in order
- Size. Read the projector's native resolution on its spec or in the signal info menu. Make the pattern at that size, and set the media server output to the same size. A scaled pattern cannot show a one-pixel line.
- Focus. The grid and the small square labels should be sharp in the centre and in all four corners. If only the centre is sharp, refocus, or the screen is not flat, or the lens is soft at the edges.
- Geometry. The large circles must be circles, and the grid squares must be squares. An oval or a keystone shape means the projector is not square to the screen. Move the projector and use lens shift first.
- Digital keystone last. Keystone correction scales the image inside the projector and throws pixels away, so the grid goes soft. Use it only for the last few degrees you cannot fix by moving the projector.
- Edges. The white and black border sits on the outermost pixels. If a side is missing, the output is cropped or the projector is zoomed past the screen.
- Convergence. On a 3LCD projector, look at a white grid line. Red, green and blue fringes mean the panels are not landing on the same pixels. DLP projectors use one chip, so they do not show this.
- Blend. Where two projectors overlap, the grid should continue without a step and the circles should not double. Measure the overlap in pixels from the grid and set the same width in the media server's blend.
Common projector resolutions
| Size | Name | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 × 1080 | Full HD | 16:9 | Open |
| 1920 × 1200 | WUXGA | 16:10 | Open |
| 3840 × 2160 | UHD | 16:9 | Open |
| 4096 × 2160 | DCI 4K | 256:135 | Open |
| 1400 × 1050 | SXGA+ | 4:3 | Open |
The model name on the projector is not the resolution. A "4K" projector may be 3840 × 2160 or 4096 × 2160, and some enhance a lower native panel. The signal info menu shows what the projector is actually receiving.
Questions
Which elements should the pattern include?
Grid lines, square labels, circles and the edge border. Colour bars help when you are matching two projectors. Safe-area dashes show where titles will sit once the projector is zoomed to the screen.
Should I use a video or a still?
A still PNG is enough for focus and geometry. A short MP4 loop, with the patterns moving, shows whether the output has frozen. Ratio records that loop from the same card.
The pattern is sharp on the computer and soft on the screen.
The computer is showing it 1:1 and the path to the projector is not. Check the output resolution, the player scale, and any keystone or warp already applied. The 1920 × 1080 test card page describes the same checks for a flat panel.
How is this different from a pixel map?
Same image. A pixel map is that image made at the exact pixel size of one screen or LED wall, so each file pixel lands on one display pixel. For an LED wall, use the LED wall calculator to get that size.