Projector Throw Distance Planner
Turn a throw-ratio range from your projector's own documentation into an actual distance interval, and check it against where you could realistically mount it.
Mountable overlap
144–180
What a throw ratio actually means
A projector's throw ratio is the relationship between how far it sits from the screen and how wide the resulting image is: throw distance equals screen width multiplied by the throw ratio. A short-throw projector might specify a ratio around 0.5, meaning it needs to sit only half a screen-width away, while a standard-throw unit might specify something closer to 1.5, needing roughly one and a half screen-widths of distance. This single relationship is the entire basis of this calculator; it is simple, but getting the ratio itself wrong (or guessing at it) undermines every other planning step that follows.
Why this requires your own projector's documentation
Throw ratio is not a universal constant. It varies by lens, by projector model, and often by zoom setting on units with a variable-ratio lens. This tool will not guess a ratio for you or recommend a projector; you supply the minimum and maximum ratio directly from your specific projector's own manual or spec sheet. A fixed-lens projector has a single ratio (enter the same value for both minimum and maximum); a zoom lens gives you a range.
Turning a ratio into a real distance check
Once the tool has your screen width and ratio range, it calculates the actual distance interval where the projector could sit and stay in focus and fill the screen correctly. It then compares that interval against the range of distances you say are actually mountable in your room, accounting for walls, furniture, or ceiling mount constraints. If the two ranges overlap, that overlap is your workable mounting zone. If they do not overlap at all, the tool says so plainly rather than forcing an answer, since a genuine mismatch between a projector and a room is exactly the kind of expensive mistake this tool exists to catch before a purchase.
What this does not do
This tool never recommends a specific projector model or claims compatibility with your space; it only tests the numbers you already have against each other. It also does not account for lens shift, keystone correction, or off-center mounting offsets, all of which can change your effective options and are covered in your projector's own manual. Pair this with the screen planner to settle on a screen width first if you have not already, and the brightness planner to sanity-check light output for the same image size.
Frequently asked questions
What is a projector throw ratio?
It is the relationship between how far a projector sits from the screen and how wide the resulting image is: throw distance equals screen width multiplied by the throw ratio. A short-throw unit might specify around 0.5; a standard-throw unit closer to 1.5.
Where do I find my projector's throw ratio?
From your specific projector's own manual or spec sheet — this tool will not guess one for you or recommend a projector. A fixed-lens projector has a single ratio; a zoom lens gives you a min/max range to enter.
What does it mean if the workable mounting zone does not overlap my room's mountable distance?
It means a genuine mismatch between your projector and your room at that screen size — exactly the kind of expensive mistake this tool exists to catch before a purchase, rather than forcing an answer that does not actually work.