Best Projector, Software & Complete Setup Guide
Learn VIRAL projection mapping in 10 minutes (beginner)
Quick Links:
Mad Mapper Software (use code “NICK26” for 20% off)
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support my tutorials and my increasingly unnecessary projector collection.
Projection mapping is an impressive and high impact skill that is deceivingly easy to learn.
You need a projector, some software, and something worth projecting onto. That’s it.
I made a full beginner projection mapping video tutorial that walks through the process.
The best beginner projector for projection mapping
For an affordable first setup, I recommend the XuanPad V18 mini projector.
Is it the projector I would use to map a professional project? Absolutely not. High quality projectors can easily reach 5-to-6-figures.
But for learning projection mapping at home, testing ideas on walls, furniture, sculptures, or whatever else is sitting around your apartment, it gets the job done.
I have 2 of these because they are cheap, light, and I can beat them up.
Start small. Learn the process. Make something cool. Then spend more money on better gear later.
The projection mapping software I use
For actual mapping, I use MadMapper.
It lets you take your visuals (or the built in ones) and fit them onto basically any shape or surface without. It’s powerful, relatively approachable, and made for this exact job.
You can try MadMapper free before committing, and use code NICK26 for 20% off.
That’s the beginner setup: a projector, MadMapper, and a willingness to spend a few hours moving rectangles around until everything lines up. Good luck. It gets addicting fast.
Optional: animation software
Projection mapping software gets the visuals onto the thing. But first, you need visuals. You can use the ones built into Mad Mapper, or you can make them yourself.
I make mine in Adobe After Effects. It’s a (complex) program where you can create animations, loop scenes, add textures, make weird things move, and generally turn a normal projector into a much more expensive-feeling projector.
If you want to learn how to use Adobe After Effects, you can take my Motion Design Upgrade course.