Every projection screen manufacturer has its own naming system for screens. Draper uses a series of letters and numbers for our projection screens. Each letter or number represents a performance or physical characteristic of the screen. By knowing the product name, you know how it will perform.

Many of our screen model names are followed by a single letter: C, E, M, or V. They are there to distinguish between types of viewing surfaces that are available within the same screen case, i.e. Access E and Access V, or Silhouette C and Silhouette M.

• E—An electric projection screen with a self-supporting (non-tensioned) viewing surface. The surfaces are made with textile-backed materials and kept flat by the thickness and weight of the screen surface and the weight of the dowel.
• V—An electric tab-tensioned projection screen. Tab-tensioned surfaces are vinyl without a textile backing. The surface is held flat with a tensioning system. The viewing surface and tabs are cut as a single piece on Computer Numerical Control cutting tables. The tabs are then folded to the backside of the screen surface and RF welded. A thin cord is threaded through the tabs and tensions the surface perfectly flat.
• M—A spring roller-operated, self-supporting (non-tensioned) screen. The viewing surface is made with textile-backed materials.
• C—A crank-operated, tab-tensioned projection screen surface without a textile backing.

The individual viewing surfaces we offer all have a series of letters and numbers in their names. These numbers and letters reveal viewing surface’s performance. The first letter refers to the viewing cone, the second letter is contrast, the numbers are the gain, and the final letter tells you what viewing surface family the surface is part of. In some instances, there is a further set of letters to indicate special characteristics of the surface.

• Viewing cone: X=extra-wide viewing cone (half gain is greater than 60 degrees); M=moderate (half gain is 30-60 degrees); C=controlled (half gain is less than 30 degrees).
• Contrast: T=typical (white in color and generally recommended for use where ambient light is controlled); H=high (usually a gray surface or substrate—black retention is enhanced and for better performance under reasonable levels of ambient light); S=Superior (remarkable contrast and resistance to ambient light, meeting or exceeding contrast offered by any competitive viewing surface).
• Gain: The numeric portion of the surface name is its typical peak gain x 1000.
• Family: V=the surface is flexible or suitable for tensioning (including OptiFlex, CineFlex, and some ClearSound surfaces); X=the surface is from the TecVision family; E=the surface is a self-supporting material (including OptiView and some ClearSound surfaces).
• Special characteristics: ALR= ambient light rejecting (performs well in ambient light); UST=for use with short-throw and ultra short-throw projection.

So, using the fabric code XH800X ALR UST as an example, we know that it has an extra wide viewing cone, high contrast, a 0.8 gain, is part of the TecVision family, and is for use under ambient light conditions with a short-throw projector.

For more about our viewing surface naming system, click here.

To learn more about projection screen tensioning, click here.