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Calibrating a projector for sewing is now easier than ever! Calibrate a projector for sewing by using these three steps. It is easy as dragging and dropping four corners on your screen. You will have your projector up and ready for sewing in no time!
The steps are simple for calibrating:
Step 1: Open program of choice
Step 2: Drag and drop a rectangle on your cutting mat
Step 3: Measure rectangle and enter dimensions
Now you are ready to start projecting! Read on to get more details on each step!
Before Calibrating
Before calibrating your projector for sewing, the projector should be setup and mounted where you want it for sewing.
Turn the projector on. Focus the image using the focus lever around the lens, inside the filter cover (UST), or in the projector settings (digital focus). Refer to your projector manual as needed. Some projectors have auto focus. It may help to turn this feature off after installing. It is also a good idea to turn off auto-keystone features because they can interfere with the calibration programs.
In the projector settings, orient the screen so the right side up is facing up for you. (Rear, Rear Front, Front Ceiling, etc.)
You are not able to rotate the image from landscape to portrait mode, so setup the projector in the orientation that is lined up with your cutting mat.
While not necessary with the calibration programs, it is a good idea to setup the projector as level as possible and put keystone in a neutral position.
Connect your projector to your phone, iPad, Tablet, or computer. HDMI is the most popular method, but many projectors come with Wi-Fi built-in for connecting to Android and iOS devices. Streaming or Chromecast devices can be added to any projector to make them wireless, if you desire. Most wireless connections do require internet, however DLNA and wireless HDMI transmitters work well without internet connections.
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Step 1: Choosing a Calibration Program
Gone are the old days in the beginning of projectors for sewing when you had to manually calibrate a projector for sewing. Now there are many programs that allow you to accurately scale the projected image.
The main programs and apps that I recommend are Pattern Projector, Project and Cut, IntelliSew, and Sewsy.
Project & Cut was one of the first programs developed to simplify the calibration process. It is designed for Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. It does not work on mobile devices or tablets. You can learn more about Project & Cut HERE.
Pattern Projector is the most commonly used program in the community. It can be used directly on the web or downloaded to your device as a PWA (Progressive web app). It’s free and open source. This article will give you an overview of Pattern Projector and how it works. Pattern projector works on computers, tablets, phones, and iPads.
IntelliSew was developed for iOS devices and features an AI calibration method that allows you to take a photo of your cutting table and it creates the calibration grid for you. See more about IntelliSew in this article. Intellisew includes both free and paid features.
Sewsy was also developed as a phone-first app alternative to Pattern Projector. It works on Android and Apple devices, including iPads. It also includes a feature for printing sewing patterns easily from your phone. Learn more about Sewsy HERE.
Open your program of choice and continue to step 2.
Step 2: Drag and drop a Rectangle on Your Cutting Mat
All programs follow a similar process for calibrating your projector for sewing. They each have instructions on how to use the program and app. Calibration is really easier that it sounds!
Create a large rectangle on your cutting mat by dragging and dropping the four rectangles. Having a mat with a grid on it makes the process of creating a perfect rectangle easy. The rectangle does not need to be to the very edges of your image, but should cover a large area of your image.
Step 3: Measure the Rectangle and Enter Dimensions
Now, you will measure the width and height of the rectangle. Sometimes the “width” and “height” throw people off. These dimensions correspond to movie projector images. The width is the horizontal measurement (longer side of the cutting mat) and the height is the vertical (short side of cutting mat).
I have found that using a carpenter’s measuring tape (metal measuring tape) will consistently give the best results.
Enter the measurements in the corresponding boxes.
Check that the grid lines up. If it doesn’t, try adjusting the corners up and down slightly to get a better alignment.
Open a PDF Pattern and Project!
Click “Project” in the program and open a PDF Projector File to start cutting out a pattern.
Project & Cut can open Projector File or A0 Sized PDFs. Pattern Projector, IntelliSew, and Sewsy can open any size PDF pattern including Projector Files, A0 files, and letter/A4 size. Letter/ A4 sized patterns can be stitched together using the “stitch” function in the apps. This tutorial will help with “stitching” these files together.
Troubleshooting
Grid not lining up:
– Measure the width and height again. Ensure that they are entered into the right box.
-Try adjusting the corners slightly for better alignment.
-Turn off “auto keystone” feature on your projector. In some rare instances the auto keystone feature is fighting against the calibration programs. Turn off the auto keystone feature in your projector settings and set to “manual” keystone. Calibrate projector as normal.
Dipping or bowing lines: This typically means that your table dips or has a high point and is not completely flat. If it is minor, no additional adjustment is needed. You can cut as normal or avoid the position on your mat. If the dipping and bowing is extreme, consider putting something flat such as a board under your cutting mat.
Old Vs. New Way to Calibrate
This article reviewed the “new” way most people calibrate their projector for sewing. However, there is an “old” calibration method that will allow you to project images from a variety of programs including Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, or Inkscape. If you are interested in learning the old method or manual calibration, then checkout THIS article for ceiling mounted projectors and THIS article for ultra-short throw projectors.
Learn to Use your Sewing Projector!
Step-by-step guides and videos so you don’t miss anything in getting started using a projector for sewing.
This course will streamline your learning from choosing a projector to projecting your first patterns on your projector!
Click the button to learn more about this course!