Projection mapping guides

Practical, vendor-neutral guides — from a first DIY project to planning a facade show: brightness, lenses, blending, software, content, safety and festivals.

Choosing Projection Mapping Software in 2026

MadMapper, Resolume Arena, TouchDesigner, HeavyM, Millumin, disguise, WATCHOUT, PIXERA and open-source tools compared by use case, skill level and budget.

Creating Content for Projection Mapping

From mapping template to final render — resolution, frame rate, codecs, colour, storytelling and the After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender and real-time workflows.

Edge Blending and Multi-Projector Setups

How to combine several projectors into one seamless image — overlap sizes, blending curves, black-level compensation, stacking, and calculating final resolution.

Getting Your Work into Light Festivals — Open Calls and Careers

How light and mapping festivals select artists, what a strong open-call proposal includes, budgets and fees, and paths into a career in projection mapping.

How Many Lumens Do You Need for Projection Mapping?

Calculate projector brightness for facades, objects and immersive rooms from surface area, ambient light and contrast — with worked examples and rules of thumb.

Interactive Projection Installations with TouchDesigner

How interactive mapping works — sensors, real-time engines, latency and design patterns — with a starter architecture for your first interactive projection.

The World's Best Light Festivals — and How to Visit Them

A season-by-season guide to light and projection-mapping festivals worldwide, with tips for planning visits, photographing installations and avoiding crowds.

Outdoor Projection Shows — Permits, Weather and Safety

What to plan for when projecting outdoors — permissions, crowd and electrical safety, projection towers, rain, wind, fog, temperature and equipment protection.

How to Plan a Building Projection, Step by Step

A practical workflow for facade projection mapping — site survey, permissions, projector positions, brightness, content production, rehearsals and show night.

Projection Mapping at Home — A First DIY Project

Map your first object with a home projector and free or trial software — what you need, step-by-step setup, content ideas and common mistakes.

Throw Ratio and Throw Distance Explained

How to calculate where a projector must stand for a given image size, how zoom lenses and lens shift work, and how to choose a lens for mapping.

What Is Projection Mapping? A Complete Introduction

Projection mapping explained — how video is fitted to buildings and objects, the equipment and software involved, famous festivals and how to get started.

Glossary

Unsure what throw ratio, edge blending or Art-Net mean? The glossary explains 70+ terms.