Pixel pitch explained: choosing the right LED screen resolution
4 min read
Pixel pitch is the one number on an LED spec sheet worth understanding before you buy. It decides how sharp the screen looks, how close people can stand, and a large part of the price.
What pixel pitch means
Pixel pitch is the distance from the centre of one pixel to the centre of the next, in millimetres. It's usually written with a P in front:
- P2 means pixels 2 mm apart.
- P3 means pixels 3 mm apart.
- P10 means pixels 10 mm apart.
Each pixel is a tiny cluster of red, green and blue LEDs that mix to make any colour. The closer together the pixels sit, the more of them fit in each square metre, and the finer the picture.
Pitch, pixel count and price
Pixel density rises with the square of the pitch. Halve the pitch and you get four times the pixels in the same area. That's why fine-pitch screens cost so much more per square metre.
Here's what that means for a screen 3 m wide and 2 m high:
| Pitch | Resolution (width x height) | Total pixels |
|---|---|---|
| P3 | 1,000 x 666 | about 666,000 |
| P6 | 500 x 333 | about 167,000 |
| P10 | 300 x 200 | 60,000 |
Same size screen, more than ten times the pixels at P3. Up close, the P3 screen looks like a TV. From across a road, most people couldn't tell them apart.
The viewing distance rule of thumb
A handy starting point: the closest comfortable viewing distance in metres is about the pitch in millimetres. A P3 screen looks smooth from about 3 m. A P10 screen looks smooth from about 10 m. Any closer and people start to see the individual dots.
Most screens look their best from two to three times that distance, so a P3 screen is at its best from roughly 6 to 9 m.
| Pitch | Closest comfortable distance | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|
| P2 | about 2 m | Counters, foyers, meeting rooms |
| P3 | about 3 m | Shop interiors, showrooms, cinemas |
| P4 | about 4 m | Large indoor walls, footpath-facing signs |
| P6 | about 6 m | Outdoor signs on a street or car park |
| P10 | about 10 m | Roadside billboards and big pylon signs |
These are guides, not rules. Content matters too: video and photos hide a coarse pitch better than small text does.
How to choose
- Find the closest spot where people will look at the screen. For a shop window, that's the footpath. For a roadside sign, it's the nearest lane of traffic.
- Match the pitch to that distance using the table above.
- Check the pixel count. A coarse pitch on a small screen leaves too few pixels for clear text. If your sign has to show words, make sure it has enough pixels across to fit them at a readable size.
- Don't overbuy. A finer pitch than the distance needs costs more and adds little that anyone will see.
The Screen finder on our home page uses the same rule. Indoors, it suggests P2 when people stand under 3 m away, P3 at 3 to 5 m and P4 beyond that. Outdoors, it suggests P4 under 8 m, P6 at 8 to 20 m and P10 beyond 20 m.
Pitch and content
Every LED screen has a native resolution: the number of pixels across and down. Design your content at exactly that size. Artwork made for a TV or a phone gets squashed or scaled, and fine text turns to mush on a coarse pitch.
We'll give you your screen's exact resolution, or we can design the content for you. For more on this, see LED sign content that works.
Common questions
What does P10 mean on an LED sign?
The pixels are 10 mm apart, centre to centre. P10 suits signs read from about 10 m or further, such as roadside billboards.
Is a smaller pixel pitch always better?
Only if people will stand close to the screen. From further back, a smaller pitch looks much the same and costs more.
What pitch suits a shop window?
Most shop windows are read from the footpath, a few metres away, so P2 to P4 is typical. The glass lets in sun as well, so brightness matters as much as pitch.
Compare the cost of each pitch
Our custom LED is sold by the square metre at each pitch, so you can compare prices directly:
Not sure which one fits? Tell us where the screen will go and how far away people will be, and we'll suggest one.