What is the best material to make a projector screen out of?

Answer 1

You can use a plain white sheet of photographer's roll paper (used for backdrops) per article at 1st link.

Or you can do what I did and paint a blank wall using Behr "Silverscreen" paint mixed with Behr White Opal Pearlescent (3:1), applied in three coats with a smooth foam roller and with careful sanding in between. Results are so good I'm not sure I'll ever buy a screen (even though I fully intended the painted screen to be only a stopgap). The advantage of painting is you can customize the colour and redo it if you don't like it ... plus it's cheap (<$50). The downside is you can't move it.

The last 2 links are to a picture of the painted screen in my partially completed home theatre and a screen shot of the screen in use (from "The Unit")

Detailed discussion of DIY screens can be found at the second link.