# Building an Immersive Projection Space: What to Check and How Installation Runs > An immersive projection space wraps walls, and often the floor, in one continuous image from several blended projectors. Most problems are decided before installation: projector placement and overlap, surfaces, heat, running hours and laser safety clearances. Installation then follows a fixed order -- mount, align, warm up, warp, blend, match colour, soak-test. **Published:** 2026-10-01 - **By:** MLABART ## What has to be decided before installation? Seven decisions shape the room. Each is cheap on paper and expensive once projectors are hung. | Decision | Why it matters | Guidance | | --- | --- | --- | | Projector overlap | Blending needs shared pixels at every seam | Epson recommends blending 15-25% of each projector's image for non-interactive setups. Plan the canvas as the sum of the images minus the overlaps. | | Projection technology | Hours per day decide maintenance and drift | Panasonic's guidance: LCD suits running times below 8 hours a day; sealed DLP is easier to match across several projectors and more resistant to dust and heat over long hours. Immersive venues may run up to 20 hours a day. | | Laser safety | High-output (Risk Group 3) laser projectors can harm eyes at close range | In the US, FDA Laser Notice 57 asks that fixed RG3 installations outside cinemas keep the hazard zone at least 3 m above the floor with 2.5 m horizontal clearance, use barriers where people could reach it, and be installed by trained, authorised installers. Check local rules elsewhere. | | Heat and ventilation | Hot projectors dim and fail | Panasonic notes that when operating temperature is too high, light output drops significantly and reliability suffers. Plan air handling at the projector positions, not only for the audience. | | Surfaces | Gloss creates hotspots; seams show through the image | Matte, uniform, neutral finishes; fill and sand seams before painting. | | Floor shadows | Visitors stand between the projector and the floor | Project from high and from more than one direction so each projector fills the other's shadow; short-throw lenses close to the walls also help. | | Spill light | Any stray light lowers contrast | Use light locks at entrances and plan exit signs and safety lighting from the start. | - ![Section view of an immersive room: two ceiling projectors, the laser hazard zone kept above a 3 m line with 2.5 m horizontal clearance, and a visitor whose floor shadow is filled by the second projector.](https://mlabart.com/insights/immersive-projection-space-installation-guide/clearances-and-shadows.svg) -- Laser clearance follows US FDA Laser Notice 57 for Risk Group 3 projectors. Cross-projecting from two sides softens the floor shadow each visitor casts. ## In what order does installation run? The sequence matters more than the speed. Skipping a step usually means repeating several later ones. - Site survey and 3D model -- measure the room, ceiling structure, power, ventilation and rigging points, then simulate projector positions and floor shadows. - Rigging and mounting -- certified mounts and safety cables; every projector fixed before any alignment starts. - Coarse alignment -- point each projector at its section using lens shift and zoom. - Warm-up -- Epson's blending guide asks for 30 minutes after power-on before adjusting, because images shift as projectors reach operating temperature. - Geometric warp -- align the grids across every overlap so lines continue without steps. - Edge blending -- set the blend ramps inside the overlaps so brightness stays even across seams. - Colour and brightness matching -- match white point and brightness across all projectors. - Content test -- play real content at full resolution and watch the seams on fast motion and text. - Soak test -- run the full show for the venue's daily opening hours before launch, then recheck alignment. - ![Nine installation steps for an immersive projection space shown as a grid, with warm-up and edge blending highlighted.](https://mlabart.com/insights/immersive-projection-space-installation-guide/installation-order.svg) -- The nine steps in order. Warm-up time and blend overlap are from the Epson Edge Blending Setup Guide. ## Which mistakes are hardest to fix after opening? The expensive mistakes are the ones built into the room rather than the software: - Too little overlap -- with no shared pixels there is nothing to blend, and the only fix is moving projectors. - Projectors in dead air -- heat lowers light output and shortens component life; adding ventilation later means opening ceilings. - Floor shadows nobody simulated -- visible the moment the first group walks in. - Spill light from doors and exit signs -- usually discovered on site, when the safety lighting cannot be moved. - A laser hazard zone at head height -- a safety and compliance problem, not an image-quality one. ## How does this apply to a short brand activation? A pop-up immersive room runs for days rather than years, but the order of work is the same; only the timeline is compressed. What changes is the risk profile: there is rarely time for a second attempt, so the warm-up, blending and soak test cannot be skipped to save a day. ## Sources Figures are quoted from manufacturer and regulator documents. Room-design advice is general practice; every venue needs its own survey. - [Epson -- Edge Blending Setup Guide (PDF)](https://files.support.epson.com/docid/cpd6/cpd61306.pdf) - [Panasonic -- projector technology guide for themed entertainment (PDF)](https://eu.connect.panasonic.com/sites/default/files/media/document/2024-03/Panasonic_Immersive-Entertainment_20220422.pdf) - [US FDA -- Laser Notice No. 57: Classification and Requirements for Laser Illuminated Projectors (2019)](https://www.fda.gov/media/107723/download) ## FAQ ### How much should projectors overlap in an immersive room? Epson's edge-blending guide recommends blending 15-25% of each projector's image for non-interactive setups. Plan the total canvas as the sum of the images minus the overlaps. ### How long should projectors warm up before calibration? Epson's guide asks for 30 minutes after power-on before adjusting, because the image shifts as the projector reaches operating temperature. ### Are laser projectors safe in an immersive space? Most are, but high-output Risk Group 3 laser projectors need clearances. In the US, FDA Laser Notice 57 asks for the hazard zone to be at least 3 m above the floor with 2.5 m horizontal clearance and barriers where people could reach it. Check local rules elsewhere. ### LCD or DLP projectors for an immersive space? Panasonic's guidance is that LCD suits running times below 8 hours a day, while sealed DLP is easier to match across several projectors and more resistant to dust and heat over long hours. ## Related Pages **See also:** [Immersive Art Exhibitions](https://mlabart.com/solutions/immersive-exhibitions/) | [Projection Mapping](https://mlabart.com/solutions/projection-mapping/) | [Digital Exhibition Halls & Showrooms](https://mlabart.com/solutions/digital-exhibition-halls/) --- **MLABART** -- Interaction - Imagination - Innovation MLABART is an interactive installation and interactive software development studio. We design, program and deliver interactive installations -- motion-sensing games, touch and AI experiences, interactive LED walls, projection mapping, naked-eye 3D and kinetic sculptures -- for mall and New Year's Eve countdown campaigns, trade-show booths and launches, and brand pop-ups, from concept and custom software through fabrication and on-site delivery. - Web: https://mlabart.com - Email: mark@touchworld-sh.com - Phone / WhatsApp: +86 18917292695 - Canonical HTML version: https://mlabart.com/insights/immersive-projection-space-installation-guide/