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When you imagine a projector setup, you picture washed-out colours, fuzzy edges, and worst of all – unreadable text. However, projection technology has been overwhelmingly transformed over the past decade. Now, projectors provide some of the best image quality on the market, some even better than a conventional screen. This is especially the case for text; advances in image clarity allow you to take advantage of readable texts at a standout scale. For business people, a good projector can make their ideas clear to others with a slick, readable presentation. For gaming, projection can allow you to fully immerse yourself in the game’s world, easily reading quest tags, map directions, and in-game texts. Clear projected text can even revolutionise your home cinema experience, opening up a world of subtitled movies and TV shows. Whatever you use your projector for, this article will help you find the perfect model. Here are our top five recommended projectors for readable text.
Product Comparison Table: Best Projector for Readable Text
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | Epson Powerlite 1781W WXGA Portable Projector | $$ | 4.5 stars | Best Portable | Amazon |
 | BenQ TK700 4K HDR Gaming Projector | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best for Gaming | Amazon |
 | Optoma SH360 Home Projector | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Value | Amazon |
 | BenQ HT2550 AK UHD HDR Home Theater Projector | $$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best for Movies | Amazon |
 | BenQ MH733 1080P Business Projector | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best for Business | Amazon |
Epson Powerlite 1781W WXGA Portable Projector
The Epson Powerlite 1781W WXGA Portable Projector is the lightest projector on our list, weighing in at a tiny 4lb. When selecting a projector, the two most important statistics to look for are the number of lumens (a measure of the total amount of visible light), and the resolution (the density and scale of the image). Both numbers are nice and high for the Epson Powerlite: it puts out 3200 lumens colour, and 3200 white. This means text will be visible in even fairly light rooms. Plus, 1280 x 800 WXGA (wide extended graphics array) resolution provides 2 times higher quality than the conventional SVGA, so even presentations will appear in HD-quality. The projector is compatible with both PC and Mac machines, and connects wirelessly by LAN to keep it fully portable.
Pros
- Small, light build
- WXGA resolution and high lumen count
- Wireless connectivity options
Cons
- Can’t output in 4K
Verdict
The Epson Powerlite 1781W WXGA Portable Projector is the top portable choice for readable text, providing excellent quality in even the lightest rooms. It should be perfect for business people or travellers who need to be able to carry their projector around – whether for important meetings, or just to stream TV in their hotel room. However, being unable to provide 4K quality makes this not such a good fit for gaming or home cinemas, which occasionally rely on this format.
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BenQ TK700 4K HDR Gaming Projector
The BenQ TK700 4K HDR Gaming Projector is a standard throw projector, creating a 100 inch image at 8.2 feet. With 16MS 4K HDR High resolution imagery, low latency and low lag projection, you can both read text more clearly, and react faster. Plus, BenQ’s exclusive color tuning means you can see dangers in the dark, as well as details in the light. The brightness of 3200 lumens means it works perfectly in light rooms, while the 2D auto vertical keystone keeps the image square. As for sound, it supports aARC for Dolby Atmos and 7.1 Channel Audio pass through, and even has a specific Game Mode. Lastly, it’s compatible with PC and Mac via USB connection, and all major consoles (Sony PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S & X, and Google Stadia) via HDMI.
Pros
- High resolution and lumen count
- Gaming-specific technology
- Compatible with all major consoles
Cons
- No wireless connection, HDMI or USB only
- No short-throw capability
Verdict
As gaming has become mainstream, hardcore fans are becoming more selective about their hardware. The BenQ TK700 4K HDR Gaming Projector is made with gamers in mind, providing perfect colour fidelity, deep blacks and low lag so you won’t miss a shot – or a word. Reading text clearly could really increase your gaming performance, especially in FPS games or competitive matches. However, the lack of a short-throw option means this might not be a good choice for bedroom gamers or those in small rooms.
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Optoma SH360 Home Projector
The Optoma SH360 Home Projector has 3600 lumens of brightness, enough for lights-on viewing. It can even be used outdoors in fair conditions, due to the strength of its image. Best of all, it has 480p resolution (with 720p support), 22,000:1 contrast ratio, and Rec.709 color gamut, so colours are always accurate and text is always clear. It can even support true 3D content from a variety of sources such as 3D Blu-ray players, 3D broadcasting and games consoles – although 3D glasses are sold separately. Finally, it has an extremely long-lasting bulb, screening for up to 15000 hours before needing to be replaced; that’s 4 hours of viewing time every day for over ten years. Connection is available via USB cable, or HDMI.
Pros
- 3D screening capability
- Great value low price
- Long-lasting bulb
- High lumen count for outdoor use
Cons
- Not the highest resolution
- No short-throw capability
Verdict
The Optoma SH360 Home Projector is our best value option, retailing at the lowest price on average. Considering the capabilities of this projector, it would be a great purchase at any price; it is the only projector that boasts of being suited to outdoor use, and has a long-enough lamp life to make it excellent value regardless. Despite its strengths, however, relatively low resolution makes it less suitable for very small text.
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BenQ HT2550 AK UHD HDR Home Theater Projector
If you’re looking for picture quality, you won’t get much better than the BenQ HT2550 AK UHD HDR Home Theater Projector. This projector screens over 8.3 million distinct individual pixels, making for incredibly clear, crisp and detailed 4K UHD quality. Even the smallest subtitles will be perfectly readable, and the picture will look just as the director intended. Plus, it uses exclusive Auto HDR colour rendition and HDR10 support, alongside BenQ’s own Cinematic Color technology (which accurately recreates >96% of Rec.709 color gamut) to produce a fully cinema-accurate experience. An auto vertical keystone keeps the picture square, and 1.2x zoom allows you to use the machine in smaller spaces. It only connects via HDMI, however. Also, it only outputs at 2200 lumens, so can’t be used in light rooms.
Pros
- Cinema-grade visual technology
- Zoom for adjustable distance
- 4K Ultra-HD resolution
Cons
- Only connects via HDMI
- Must be used in the dark
Verdict
Cinephiles, look no further – the BenQ HT2550 AK UHD HDR Home Theater Projector is the perfect machine for you. If you love subtitled movies, this machine will not only perfectly reproduce them in cinema-quality at home, but also ensure that the subs are entirely clear and readable. The major downsides of this model are the HDMI-exclusive connection, and low lumen count; however, seeing as you’ll likely be using the projector in a dark DVD or Blu-Ray based home cinema setup, you won’t suffer too badly.
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BenQ MH733 1080P Business Projector
The BenQ MH733 1080P Business Projector has the highest lumen count in this article: a hugely impressive 4000 lumens. This means it can be used even in bright, sunlit rooms – the kind of room where you might be giving a crucial presentation. It has a 16000:1 contrast ratio, and full HD resolution too (1920 x 1080), so images and text come out clear. There are even different settings for different environments and needs: lamp-safe mode lowers the running cost by extending the lamp life to 150,000 hours, while Brilliant Color mode optimises the machine with a new color-processing algorithm for higher image quality. Lastly, it has a wide range of business-specific connection options. Mounted on the ceiling, the machine connects via Crestron, AMX and PJ-Link for network control via LAN, or RS-232. It also has a USB reader, QCast App compatibility and optional USB wireless dongles.
Pros
- High HD resolution for readable text
- Highest lumen count, works in bright rooms
- Range of business-specific connection options
- Multiple modes for different needs
Cons
- Ceiling mounted, not moveable
- Not 4K UHD capable
Verdict
We’ve featured a lot of BenQ machines on this list, mainly because no other company offers better specialised projection machines than this. With the BenQ MH733 1080P Business Projector, you can bring BenQ’s industry-leading technology into the workplace, giving presentations that are always perfectly readable. The high lumen count means you won’t have to turn out the lights, so you can make eye contact, and your coworkers can make notes. The wide range of connection options also means visiting clients or third parties won’t be left unable to present because their device isn’t compatible. This is our best business projector for readable text.
