Measure the throw before you read any spec
The first number to fix is the throw. A gobo size standards rated for 4–35 m covers a very different wall at the near end than at the far end, and the image width roughly triples across that range on a typical zoom lens. Measure from the realistic mounting point — the one the site will actually let you use — and write it down before you look at any product page.
The optics decide what you can actually adjust
The optics decide what you can correct later. A fixed lens gobo size standards has to be positioned correctly the first time; a zoom lens lets you frame the image after the bracket is up. In practice that difference is worth more than an extra 20 W, because the most common install problem is not brightness — it is an image that lands slightly off the intended surface with no way to adjust it.
What your artwork forces you to buy
Choose the gobo from the artwork file. Solid block logos survive etching into stainless steel and will outlast the projector, but anything with hairlines, grey levels or a photographic element has to go on glass. This is the decision that most often gets made backwards — the buyer orders a cheap metal gobo, sees the result on the wall, and reorders in glass two weeks later.
Ingress rating and mounting environment
The ingress rating is a statement about where the unit can live, not how good it is. IP65 on a gobo size standards means it will cope with the conditions it was tested for — driving rain, dust, or in the case of indoor ratings, nothing more than a wipe-down. If the install is under a soffit that only sees wind-blown rain, an indoor-rated unit may be fine; if it is exposed on a replacement gobo order, IP65 is the floor, not the target.
- Is the position exposed to driving rain or only wind-blown moisture
- Whether the cable gland is rated with the housing
- UV exposure on painted finishes and plastic parts
- Salt or pollutant load in the air
The five lines that get an accurate quote
Send five things with your enquiry and you will get a quote back the same day instead of a week of questions: the throw distance, the image width you need, a description of the surface, the ambient light at the hour of use, and the artwork file. With those, a supplier can pick the gobo size standards model and lens in one pass. Without them, everyone guesses.
- Mounting point and distance to the surface
- Image size needed
- Indoor or exposed position
- Working hours and ambient conditions
- Artwork in vector format
