How far will people stand?

Every pitch, and where it works

The full picture, if you would rather read it than move a slider. Three different distances, because they are three different things: the minimum practical distance is the rule of thumb for staying off the pixel structure, the comfortable range is where it actually looks its best, and the visual-acuity limit is a calculation rather than an observation. The last column is the one that saves money: once your viewers stand past it, buy the coarser pitch and spend the difference on brightness.

Common questions

How do I calculate LED viewing distance?

Three different distances get called this, so it is worth separating them. The minimum practical distance is the rule of thumb — metres roughly equals pitch in millimetres, so a P4 looks clean from about four metres. The comfortable range sits beyond it and shifts with your content and lighting. The visual-acuity distance is a calculation rather than a rule: pixel centres subtend under one arcminute past about 3.44 metres per millimetre of pitch, which puts a P4 at roughly 13.75 m. Buy on the first two; use the third to refuse an upsell.

What pixel pitch do I need for 10 metres?

P10 is the coarsest pitch that still reads cleanly with the nearest viewer at 10 m, and it is usually the right commercial answer. A finer pitch is only worth the difference if the screen carries fine text or will be filmed.

Can I stand too far from an LED screen?

Not in terms of pixel visibility — but you can certainly pay for resolution nobody standing there will get. Past about 3.44 m per millimetre of pitch you are beyond the visual-acuity distance, and a finer pitch has very little left to show. At 35 m almost nobody will separate a P4 from a P10 on ordinary signage content, at several times the price. Buy the P10.

Is a smaller pixel pitch always better?

No, and this is the most expensive misunderstanding in the category. A finer pitch is only better if viewers are close enough to resolve it. Once you are past the visual-acuity distance for the coarser option, the extra money is buying detail your viewers are very unlikely to see — spend it on brightness, refresh rate and the structure instead.

Once you know the pitch, the size and price guide covers what each size costs at that pitch, and the price calculator gives you a figure for your exact dimensions. The pixel pitch guide explains what the P number means in the first place.