Today, we will go over any highly visible mistakes that occur when tab-tensioned motorized screens are not designed correctly for the amount of drop selected.

Extra Drop

All projection screen venues will need to be properly measured. While a majority of people do this, some others make the mistake of just adding drop and then fixing the positioning during the installation. The tab-tensioning cable relies heavily on the screen’s complete or near-complete deployment. The cable pulls the screen flat and holds it there only when it is completely extended. So, it is good to take the extra steps and make sure that your clients are satisfied.

Wrong Shape

Another mistake is when the screen itself does not meet the 4 to 3 rule. All tab-tensioned screens need to have the overall width of the screen at least 1.33 times the height. Having a wider screen is fine, however, less width leads to wrinkled corners. Do not let yourself fall victim to this simple failure. You can add in more side bordering if you need to to help you get the best outcome.

Consider creating a design process that starts with just the shape of the screen without the image. Think about these four steps:

• Plan the placement of the case, figure out how high it will be;
• Plan the bottom of the screen, and know how low it is;
• Plan how wide the screen will need to be, will it need to hide things, or will it be limited by the side walls;
• Does the width exceed the height by at least 1.33 to 1.

Once you have this blank rectangle, overlay the image area. The bottom of the image must be visible to all viewers without obstructions from the furniture, heads or raised stages. The height of the image should be tall enough to have images clearly visible from the back row.