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Wattage Finder · Lighting Guide

How room lighting changes your projection

The single biggest factor in how vivid your projection looks is the light around it. The brighter the space, the more wattage you need to stay sharp and bold. Here's what each setting looks like — and what it takes to win.

Dark setting Bar entrance logo projection at night

Dark

Your projection is the brightest thing in the room — colors pop and edges stay crisp at the lowest wattage.

Where you'll see it: Night events, dim bars, nightclubs, unlit building exteriors, theatres, gardens & grounds after dark.

Least wattage needed. A 30 ft throw lands around 150–160W.

More dark-setting examples
Building exterior branding — dark facade — Dark setting
Building exterior branding — dark facade
New Year event floor & wall projection — Dark setting
New Year event floor & wall projection
Custom wedding gobo in a dim venue — Dark setting
Custom wedding gobo in a dim venue
Exhibition / trade-show projection at night — Dark setting
Exhibition / trade-show projection at night
Theater stage & backdrop projection — Dark setting
Theater stage & backdrop projection
Courtyard monogram over a pool after dark — Dark setting
Courtyard monogram over a pool after dark
Restaurant patio logo at night — Dark setting
Restaurant patio logo at night
Average setting Corporate lobby logo — typical office light

Average

Some ambient light competes with the image, so you step the wattage up to keep it bold.

Where you'll see it: Most indoor retail, restaurants, hotel lobbies, offices, showrooms, and dusk storefronts.

Moderate wattage. A 30 ft throw moves up to roughly 300–400W.

More average-setting examples
Hotel / hospitality indoor projection — Average setting
Hotel / hospitality indoor projection
Quick-service restaurant counter — normal interior lighting — Average setting
Quick-service restaurant counter — normal interior lighting
Retail boutique sale gobo on the floor — lit showroom — Average setting
Retail boutique sale gobo on the floor — lit showroom
Warehouse safety floor signs — lit industrial aisle — Average setting
Warehouse safety floor signs — lit industrial aisle
Bright setting Retail store floor projection — bright interior

Bright

Lots of competing light — you need serious output so the projection still reads clearly.

Where you'll see it: Daylight storefronts, sunlit atriums, windows, outdoor daytime advertising.

Most wattage needed. A 30 ft throw jumps to about 500W.

More bright-setting examples
Seasonal retail store — high ambient light — Bright setting
Seasonal retail store — high ambient light
Clothing boutique floor gobos — lit interior — Bright setting
Clothing boutique floor gobos — lit interior
Trade-show booth floor logo — exhibition hall lighting — Bright setting
Trade-show booth floor logo — exhibition hall lighting

The rule of thumb

Same distance, more light → more wattage. At a 30 ft throw, a dark room is happy with ~150W, an average room wants ~300–400W, and a bright storefront needs ~500W to look just as bold. That's exactly what the Wattage Finder works out for you.

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Every photo above is a real projection in that light setting. Add more by dropping images at public/img/finder/lighting-{dark|average|bright}-{n}.webp — they appear here automatically.