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Goo Technical

Types of Screen Goo coatings

There are seventeen different types of GOO coatings, each with different specs and gain characteristics, grouped into four categories. They are:

Basic
Basic White
Basic Grey

2.0 NEW!! More below
2.0 Reference White 1.0
2.0 High Contrast 0.85
2.0 Max Contrast 0.7
2.0 Ultra Max Contrast 0.4 Theme Park
GAP - GOO 100% Acrylic Premier Primer - a must for an optimal GOO result.

Classic
Reference White
High Contrast
Max Contrast
Ultra Max Contrast
Ultra Silver 3D
Rear Projection

Premium +20 More below
Reference White +20
High Contrast +20
Max Contrast +20
Ultra Max Contrast +20
High Extinction Ultra Silver 3D

Please refer to table below for gain characteristics and projector requirements (p.s.f) of screen area of all GOO coatings:-

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  • GOO is a performing paint, so to know which coating is most suited to your project, a number of technical considerations need to be taken in: projector specs, throw distance, light conditions, type of content. The AV Professional can advise.
  • A GOO coating is chosen based on specs and site requirements, not its colour. GOO specifications need to be considered in conjunction with variables within the set up and what the site presents.
  • With some exceptions, GOO can be rolled OR sprayed on. More
  • All GOO coatings, except for those in BASIC, 2.0 range and Rear Projection, work in and are applied in pairs, i.e. Part A, a Reflective coat, which goes on first, followed by Part B, a Finish (diffusive) coat: – in this order.
  • BASIC range is good for price and time sensitive, build-&-tear-down projects and/or internal viewings. Completion time half that of Classic and Premium +20 coatings. Single-part coating.
  • 2.0 range is the new sweet spot in terms of performance versus price! Good for time-sensitive projects, with no compromise on performance. Includes 2.0 ULTRA MAX CONTRAST THEME PARK, a coating specially formulated for experience-rich, intense dark-ride environments. Single-part coating.
  • CLASSIC range is where it all started! Good for demanding projects that must meet public viewing standards. Two-part coating.
  • PREMIUM +20 range have 20 – 30% higher reflectivity than CLASSIC coatings. For very demanding projects, where public viewing is very critical and budget no object. Unsuitable for image blending. Two-part coating.
  • REAR PROJECTION, or commonly known as RP, works on its own, NOT in a pair, and is to be sprayed on only. It works best in low light and was not made to compete with direct sunlight.  For the image to be seen on BOTH sides, RP is applied on glass OR acrylic (a.k.a. perspex, plexiglas), clear OR tinted. It will render the surface translucent.

More on SCREEN GOO 2.0

GOO 2.0 is the result of applying recent developments in polymers and pigments to everything we've learnt in the last 15 years of making projection coatings. We listened to your feedback and examined all aspects of the GOO experience, from application to enjoyment.

With GOO 2.0, application and maintenance is now easier. In addition, completion time and shipping costs are positively impacted. Compared to before, GOO 2.0:

  • has extended open time, facilitating finishing
  • consists of a single-part, and therefore....
  • can be applied in fewer coats, which means....
  • shorter completion time, and....
  • comes in fewer bottles, reducing shipping costs
  • has extended coverage, 1L covers 5.6 sq m (60 sq ft)
  • simplifies touch ups and other repairs

With GOO 2.0, picture quality is improved. Compared to before, GOO 2.0:

  • lays flatter and smoother
  • produces deeper and more saturated colour
  • has superior detail and image definition

More on GAP - GOO 100% Acrylic Premier Primer

Screen Goo 100% Acrylic Premier Primer (GAP) is a non-toxic, acrylic, water-based primer. It is suited for priming all porous surfaces such as drywall, plywood, plaster and masonry. Our primer is 100% acrylic and contains no PVA (poly vinyl acetate), which are found in most off-the-shelf primers.  We discovered that PVA react to UV which can result in discolouration, compromising the performance of Screen GOO. For this reason, GAP is the default primer for all GOO projects (those with porous surfaces) with immediate effect.  Ever so economical, like the rest of its 2.0 siblings, 1L of GAP covers 9.3 sq m (100 sq ft).

Please note that GAP is NOT a replacement for Urethane Modified Acrylics (UMA) for non-traditional and solvent-based surfaces. It is NOT to be used on metal, fibreglass etc. For that we suggest UMA by XIM or Pro-Cryl from Sherwin Williams.

Many ask if priming is necessary. The answer is "YES". A primer or undercoat is a preparatory coating put on materials before painting. Priming ensures better adhesion of paint to the surface, increases paint durability and provides additional protection for the material being painted. In cases where the core surface or substrate was built by another party, and there can be no certainty with what has gone onto it, a layer or two of GAP provides a protective barrier for peace of mind.

More on Premium +20

PREMIUM +20 range of coatings are not recommended in projects where there is edge blending, projection mapping and/or when projectors are positioned at non-conventional angles. Results may vary when trying to accurately match light intensity and colour levels in two or more pieces of edge blended content. Low reflectivity grey surfaces, found in our CLASSIC range, are more suitable for limiting the number of inter-reflections found in different pieces of edge blended parts in general.

The functions of GOO's two different products in their two-part coatings: 

The Reflective coat, part A of GOO's two-part coatings, provides an ideal reflective surface for optimal light return.  To this is added the Finish coat, part B, which has a diffusive colour-correct function, for excellent image uniformity.  It is the combination of the two which gives a Screen GOO screen its remarkable qualities of high reflectivity, colour accuracy, wide viewing angles and excellent contrast. The icing on the cake is the very special sense of image depth, or feeling of looking into the picture that only a Screen GOO screen provides.

Features of a GOO screen include:

  • Exceptional colour fidelity
  • Excellent gain with minimal hot spotting
  • Industry-leading horizontal and vertical off-axis characteristics
  • Exceptional affordability
  • Extremely wide viewing angle
  • No colour shift
  • Colour accurate screen structure
  • Depth and dimensionality

Let’s get a bit more technical – what is ‘contrast’?

One of the key properties of high quality projected video is contrast. Contrast is defined as the difference between the brightest and darkest portions of an image.

The latest generations of digital projectors have very little difficulty in producing high levels of brightness. However, the darker areas of an image, specifically black areas, are a different matter entirely. Black is defined as the absence of light. Any light in a room, even light produced by the projector and reflected from the room's wall and ceilings, will compromise the accurate reproduction of black.

By using a neutral grey reflective surface, or screen, the levels of incidental or unwanted light can be significantly reduced without affecting color accuracy and overly compromising image brightness. Less unwanted reflected light means better black levels, which in turn means enhanced contrast. Unless the viewing room is completely light controlled, including dark, non-reflective walls and ceiling, a grey screen will always provide better black levels and higher contrast than a white screen.

Screen Goo is available in shades corresponding to steps on the D6500 Kelvin Grey Scale for optimal color fidelity and contrast.

Let’s get a bit more technical – what is projection screen ‘Gain’?

Gain is a measurement of the reflectivity of any screen or projection surface. The gain number represents a ratio of the light reflected from the screen as compared to the light reflected from a standard white board. A screen with 1.0 gain will reflect the same amount of light as that from a white board. A screen with 1.5 gain will reflect 50% more light as that from a white board. A screen with a 0.95 gain will reflect 95% of the light from a white board.

How is ‘gain’ measured?

It is measured from the vantage point; where the screen is at its brightest, directly in front and perpendicular to the screen. Peak Gain is at 0 deg. viewing axis. Half Gain is at 50 deg. viewing axis.

High Gain Vs Low Gain

There is a trade-off between gain and viewing angle. Seating can be placed in a wide viewing angle with a low gain screen, affording a similar viewing experience. Optimum seating is limited with a high gain screen, close to or at the center.

Off center, brightness diminishes or shifts dramatically. Low gain screens have wider half gain viewing angles than high gain screens. Low gain screens diffuses light more evenly over a wider angle of view. High gain screens reflect more of the projector’s light energy back toward the centerline of the projection path; and less light energy to the oblique angles of view.

Brightness falls off more rapidly as you move away from the 0 deg. viewing axis, and the half gain viewing angle is relatively narrow. A high gain screen does not typically reflect red, green and blue equally – image looks different from different angles. Screens with a gain higher than 1 have some degree of hot spotting. Low gain screens are favoured when contrast and image quality need to be optimized.

The principle behind GOO’s Ultra Silver 3D (US 3D) coating

Screen Goo Ultra Silver 3D is a specially formulated coating designed to be used in the creation of non-depolarizing viewing surfaces for 3D projection applications. While there are a number of different technologies employed for displaying 3D film and video content, polarized 3D projection is emerging as the favourite of the feature film industry.

The principle of polarized 3D projection is straightforward: two slightly different images, each intended to be seen by one eye only are projected in opposite polarity. The viewer wears a pair of glasses containing two oppositely polarized filters -one for the left and one for the right eye. The oppositely polarized light from each of two projected images can only pass through its corresponding filter, ensuring that only the correct content is seen by each eye.