Harkness Screens was started as a private company in the 1920s in the UK by Andrew Harkness and developed by his son, Tom. Ownership passed out of the family in the 1960s.

Since the beginning, the company has been supplying cinema screens; originally made of cotton but today made from special plastics and coatings.

Today the Harkness Screens Group is well known all over the world. In 2005, more than 7000 large screens were supplied to more than 50 countries. The main application is still the cinema but Harkness now supplies projection screens for a host of other applications, including most recently for the fast growing home theater market.

Harkness screens are installed in more cinemas than any other. Well known brand names use Harkness screens.