Buy one when the room has ambient light you cannot remove — and buy it after the projector, because the screen has to match where the light comes from.
What it actually is
Not a colour, an optical structure. The surface is built to return light arriving from one direction and absorb light arriving from every other. That is why the geometry question comes before the gain question.
The rule that decides everything
Match the screen to the projector’s position. A CLR screen built for an ultra short throw machine, used with a ceiling-mounted projector, rejects exactly the light you are trying to see.
In a dark room
It buys nothing and costs viewing angle. A plain 1.0-gain white or a grey screen is the better answer where the light can be controlled.
The order of purchase
Projector, then screen. An ALR screen bought first is a bet on where the light will come from, and it is the one purchase in this catalogue that no menu setting can correct.
Questions people actually ask
What is the difference between ALR and CLR?
The direction they reject. An ALR screen for a ceiling-mounted long-throw projector rejects light arriving from the sides; a CLR screen for an ultra short throw projector is saw-toothed to accept light from below and reject the ceiling above. Pairing them the wrong way round gives a dimmer image than plain white would.
What does it cost in return?
Viewing angle, mostly, and sometimes visible sparkle or hot-spotting. These are optical structures rather than fabrics, and the trade is real: the image is best from a narrower range of seats.
Last reviewed 4 September 2026