Every LED buyer hears the same question: "What pixel pitch do you need?" Pixel pitch is the distance between the centre of one LED pixel and the next, measured in millimetres. A P2.5 screen has pixels 2.5 mm apart; a P10 screen has pixels 10 mm apart.

What pitch really controls

Smaller pitch means:

  • Higher resolution for the same physical size.
  • A closer minimum viewing distance.
  • Higher cost per square metre.

Larger pitch means lower resolution but a much lower price. The goal is to choose the largest pitch that still looks sharp at the closest realistic viewer position.

A simple viewing-distance estimate

There is no single official formula, but a widely used estimate for video content is:

Minimum viewing distance (metres) ≈ pixel pitch (mm) × 1,000 ÷ 1,000

More simply, for each 1 mm of pixel pitch, plan about 1–2 metres of viewing distance:

  • P1.5–P2.5: designed for viewing from roughly 2–5 m.
  • P2.5–P4: suited to audiences from 3–8 m.
  • P4–P6: common for viewers from 5–15 m.
  • P8–P10+: used for distances over 10–20 m.

These ranges depend on content. Small text and detailed graphics need a finer pitch than video and logos.

Why the cheapest pitch is rarely the cheapest project

Choosing a very fine pitch increases the number of modules, processing complexity and replacement cost. A 30 m² P2 wall costs much more than a 30 m² P4 wall, even though both may look identical from 8 m away.

At the same time, buying too coarse a pitch is also expensive: if the screen must be replaced after two years because close viewers cannot read it, the savings disappear.

Resolution and source content

Check the intended source resolution. A 1920×1080 source only shows full detail if the wall's native resolution is equal or higher. For digital signage that mostly plays HD video, an HD-optimised pitch is usually enough.

Questions for the supplier

  1. What is the closest seat, camera or footpath distance?
  2. Which pitch do you recommend at that distance for video content?
  3. What is the native resolution of the proposed wall?
  4. How much would one step finer pitch add to the total project?

Pixel pitch is not a contest to be the smallest. The correct pitch is the largest one that gives a clean image from every realistic viewing position—and that saves money you can spend on quality, processing and support.