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Pixel Pitch Guide

The single most important specification for LED displays. Get it right and you save budget while delivering perfect image quality. Get it wrong and you either overspend or get visible pixelation.

SPECIFIER QUICK REFERENCE

Pixel Pitch Quick Reference

  • Minimum viewing distance (m) = Pixel Pitch (mm) x 1.5
  • Comfortable viewing distance (m) = Pixel Pitch (mm) x 2.5
  • Resolution = Screen dimension (mm) / Pixel pitch (mm)
  • Halving the pixel pitch quadruples the cost (4x LEDs per sqm)
  • For text/data: use minimum distance formula. For video: use comfortable distance.
  • Most common error: over-specifying pitch (wasting budget on invisible resolution)
RECOMMENDED FOR: All LED display projects — this is the starting point for every specification

What is Pixel Pitch?

Pixel pitch is the distance (in millimetres) between the centre of one LED pixel and the centre of the adjacent pixel. It determines three critical factors:

Viewing Distance
Smaller pitch = closer viewing
Resolution
Smaller pitch = more pixels
Cost
Smaller pitch = higher cost

The Viewing Distance Formula

MINIMUM VIEWING DISTANCE
Distance (m) = Pixel Pitch (mm) x 1.5
COMFORTABLE VIEWING DISTANCE
Distance (m) = Pixel Pitch (mm) x 2.5

EXAMPLE CALCULATION

Project: 4m wide x 2.25m tall lobby wall at P1.5
Horizontal pixels: 4000mm / 1.5mm = 2,667 pixels
Vertical pixels: 2250mm / 1.5mm = 1,500 pixels
Resolution: 2667 x 1500 (approximately 4K)
Min viewing distance: 1.5mm x 1.5 = 2.25m

Pixel Pitch by Application

RECOMMENDED PIXEL PITCH BY APPLICATION
ApplicationTypical DistancePitch RangeTechnology
Control / Command Room1-3mP0.7 - P1.2COB / MiP
Executive Boardroom2-4mP0.9 - P1.5COB / MiP
Retail Close-up Display1-3mP0.9 - P1.5MiP / COB
Hotel / Corporate Lobby3-8mP1.5 - P2.5MiP / SMD
Conference / Ballroom5-12mP2.5 - P3.9SMD / MiP
Mall Atrium Signage5-15mP2.5 - P4SMD
Outdoor Street Level5-20mP3.9 - P6SMD (outdoor)
Highway Billboard20-80mP6 - P10SMD (outdoor)
Stadium Perimeter30-100mP8 - P16SMD (outdoor)

Cost vs Pixel Pitch

2026 MARKET PRICING (APPROXIMATE)
Pixel PitchCost/sqm (USD)LEDs per sqmTypical Tech
P0.7$12,000 - $20,0002,040,816COB / MiP
P0.9$8,000 - $14,0001,234,568COB / MiP
P1.2$4,000 - $8,000694,444COB / MiP / SMD
P1.5$2,500 - $5,000444,444MiP / SMD
P2.5$1,200 - $2,500160,000SMD
P3.9$800 - $1,80065,746SMD
P6$600 - $1,20027,778SMD (outdoor)
P10$400 - $90010,000SMD (outdoor)

Frequently Asked Questions

At 3m, the minimum pixel pitch is P2.0 (3m / 1.5 = 2.0mm). For comfortable viewing with mixed content, P1.5 is ideal. For text-heavy content like dashboards, go tighter to P1.2. For pure video content, P2.5 is acceptable.
Divide the screen dimension in millimetres by the pixel pitch. Example: a 4m wide wall at P1.5 = 4000mm / 1.5mm = 2,667 pixels wide. A 2.25m tall wall = 2250mm / 1.5mm = 1,500 pixels tall. Total: 2667 x 1500 (approximately 4K).
No. Over-specifying pixel pitch wastes budget without visible benefit. If your audience views from 10m, a P1.2 wall looks identical to P4 — but costs 4-5x more. Always match pitch to actual viewing distance.
Hotel lobbies typically have viewing distances of 3-8m. P1.5-P2.5 is the sweet spot. For luxury properties where the display is a design centrepiece viewed closely, P1.2-P1.5 with COB or MiP technology for superior contrast.
Highway billboards viewed from 20-80m: P6-P10. Street-level signage viewed from 5-20m: P3.9-P6. The key factor is viewing distance, not the 'outdoor' label. All outdoor displays need IP65+ and 5,500+ nits regardless of pitch.
Cost increases exponentially as pitch decreases. P0.7 costs roughly $12,000-20,000/sqm while P4 costs $600-1,500/sqm. The relationship is approximately: halving the pitch quadruples the cost, because you need 4x the LEDs per square metre.
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