United Signs

Pixel Pitch

Learn how to choose the right pixel pitch for your sign!

Choosing the right pixel pitch

EdgeX supplys a wide range of LED displays. Understand what pixel pitch you need for your LED display.

Why is pixel pitch important?

Pixel pitch is important because it affects how far away you should be from your screen to see it best. With lower pixel pitch values, an image's edges are smoother and it has more fine details. This means that the viewer can stand closer to the screen and still see a clear picture without being distracted by the pixels. As a rule of thumb, when figuring out viewing distance and pixel pitch, a smaller pixel pitch means that you can get closer to the screen. On the other hand, a higher pixel pitch makes the viewing distance longer. So, a 1.2mm screen will have a much higher resolution and the best viewing distance will be much closer than a 16mm screen.

Even though higher pixel density gives better picture quality, it is not always the best choice. The more pixels there are, the closer you are to the screen. At a farther viewing distance, more pixels don't help you see anything and just make the display more expensive.

Summarizing pixel pitch

Pixel pitch is the distance between the LED clusters that make up a pixel on an LED display. It is related to resolution. Pixel pitch is the distance, in millimeters, from the center of one pixel to the center of the next pixel. It is also called pitch or dot pitch.

​Since pixel pitch shows how much space there is between two pixels, a smaller pixel pitch means there is less empty space between pixels. This means that there are more pixels and the screen resolution is.

What is the right pixel pitch for my needs?

A smaller pixel pitch always gives a higher resolution, but it costs more.  When the pixel pitch is smaller, more LED clusters are needed to make a higher pixel density, which means that more materials and production costs are needed.

Consumers can get the most out of their LED screen if they figure out the best distance from which to view it. 

The best viewing distance is where the image quality is still good, but if the viewer moved closer, the image quality would go down or the screen would look like it was made up of tiny squares.

For example, a display with touch-based interactivity will need a low pixel pitch to show sharp images to people close by. On the other hand, an LED screen hung above the audience, like one in an arena, could have a higher pixel pitch and still work. The short answer is that a smaller pixel pitch will always give you a better image, but you won't get the full value of your investment if you can't see the screen from close enough.

In the business world, there are three ways to figure out what is a good viewing distance:

10x Rule:

This is a shorthand method for calculating an approximate estimate of the Visual Acuity Distance. The calculation is: Pixel Pitch x 10 = Approximate Viewing Distance in Feet

Visual Acuity or Retina Distance:

This is a formulated calculation of the distance a person with 20/20 vision must move away from an LED screen to see a coherent image that is not pixelated. The visual acuity in feet is formulated by multiplying the pixel pitch x 3438.

The Average Comfortable Viewing Distance:

This is an estimate of what would be a comfortable viewing distance for most people. This is a subjective estimate and will take into account variables like a person’s eye sight, resolution of content and type of content.

Pitch chart​

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