Everything You Need To Know About LED School Signs
The discovery of electricity has been a revolutionary step for the world and the discovery of LED lights is another step forward. Despite the common belief that choosing the right LED light is a daunting task, we strongly believe otherwise. Yes, there are different LED lights available for different places and purpose, but choosing the right one requires a little bit of research. For instance, for schools, you need different LED school signs and for parking lots, different kind of digital LED sign.
In the course of this article, we will provide you with all the information that you will need in order to choose the right LED for your school hallways and other notification places. However, knowing a little background of LED will help you make a better decision
What is LED Light?
The modern era requires energy efficient technology and LED light is exactly that. It is a semiconductor that converts electricity into light and it stands for “Light Emitting Diode”. Over a short period, these light have become enormously popular because of their capacity to use 85 % less energy in comparison to incandescent and halogen light. In addition, these lights have a much better life span than the other lights. For instance, Incandescent life is 1,000 hours, Halogen’s life is between 1,000 – 5,000 hours, FL lifespan is 8,000-15,000 hours and LED has 25,000-50,000 hours of life. There is a mark difference between the lives of the lights.
Due to their impressive lifespan, LED lights are used in wide source and several applications such as indicator lights in appliances, electronic billboard ads and traffic lights etc. The high power LED’s are replacing the lights at your home, in your office and everywhere around you.
The LED light has very little in common with other types of lighting. The Edison shaped globes use Incandescent technology. In the center of the globe, you will find a filament strung across two metal bars. Form the very start, people have used these globs. However, in 2009, the government banned these globes because of their inefficiency. The bulbs consume on 5 to 10 percent of the electricity that passes through it, while the other electricity is converted into heat. This results in extreme wastage of electricity. Then, there are Halogen globes, they have the same looks as Edison but use a different technology. In order to produce light, an envelope filled with low-pressure halogen has helped to burn the filament. The Halogen globes have replaced the incandescent globes in several places including spotlights, chandeliers, pendant lights etc.
After Halogen, Compact Fluorescent Lamps came into existence. The CFL is twisted fluorescent tubes that fit into a standard lighting fitting. These are 80% more efficient than incandescent globes, however, there are several restrictions such as appearance and dimming size.
Finally, LED lights are solid-state devices that employ cold light generation technology to convert electrical energy directly into a single color. The cold light generation technology ensures most energy is delivered in the visible spectrum, thus reducing the waste of electricity to a greater number.
Choosing an effective sign led display sign is important. The right Led sign boards makes it possible for the school staff to deliver their message effectively and efficiently. In addition, interacting with parents is easier and more reliable. Several things need consideration while choosing the right digital sign for your school.
No specific standard exists regarding the size, pixel, and distance of a digital sign board. So, the question is how to use a clear comparison? We know there is no simple answer for it; therefore, you will have to look further than the cabinet size. Viewable area, matrix, and pixel pitch are the factors that you need to consider in order to decide the right LED signboard for your school.
When choosing an electronic LED school signs, it is imperative to keep the distance of the audience reading the digital sign in mind. The distance will give you the idea regarding the size of the LED and the pixel pitch.
Three colors, green, red and blue, group together to form a pixel. The diode is the measurement between each cluster of pixels. There is a set method of calculating the pixel pitch measurement. It is the distance from the center of one pixel to the center of another pixel. The distance is applicable both horizontally as well as vertically. An LED with a pixel pitch of 10mm means that each pixel is spaced 10mm apart. The normal range for pixel pitch ranges with 10mm to 100mm.
Two same size screens can have different pixels pitches. The higher pixel pitch allows people to read the message at a distance, while the lower pixel pitch allows them to view the message at a close range. For instance, if it is a 7’x3’ screen to display your message to parents who will stand within 6-8 feet, you should use a low pixel pitch. However, if the audience is more than 8 feet away from the digital notification board, use high pixel pitch.
NOTE: Pixel Pitch is subjective to every individual. What might seem perfect for one, might not work for the other? Therefore, you need to choose the one that suits your needs.
The Matrix is another digital display measurement. It is calculated by multiplying the entire display with the number of pixels on each LED display tile. In the Matrix, the LEDs are similar to X and Y coordinates. They are present in rows and columns.
If you have a 4 x 4 feet display, with a 1 x 1 feet module matric of 30 x 30, you need to multiple 30 pixels per foot with 4, that sums up to a 120 by 120 pixels. Now multiply 120 x 120 to find the number of pixels of the entire sign. However, it might seem to be simple math, but it is not always this accurate. Many manufactures are not exact in their configurations. The difference is mostly unnoticeable, but the consumers should understand that not all displays adhere to the specific set of standards.
Actual size of the screen has very little impact on how crisp the resolution is going to be. For instance, you have a 10mm and a 20mm display. Both these displays have a matrix size of 98 x 144. The 20mm display is going to offer significantly larger size as there is more space between each pixel in comparison to the 10mm display. In addition, the 10mm display will provide better resolution while using this screen size.
When finding the right size of the display, you need to pay close heed to placement. If it is outdoor, the digital sign should viewable in the sunlight. You need to decide whether you want to use a trio or single resolution.
Both optimum and minimum viewing distance help you calculate the pixel pitch that will suit your needs to perfection. The minimum viewing distance is the distance at which humans are able to perceive a LED pixel cluster as a single dot. On the other hand, when a human eye is unable to perceive a pixel as an individual dot, this distance is optimum viewing distance.
If you are using a full-color high-resolution display, then optimum viewing distance should be the minimum distance between your clients and the display. However, if the display is text-based i.e. a notification strip placed in a hallway of your school, then you should work with the minimum viewing distance. When using single color display resolutions, you can work with something lower than minimum viewing distance.
Below we have come up with a table that will help you understand the distance and placement.
|
|
Viewing Distances |
Display Size |
||||
|
Pixel Pitch |
MVD (Minimum Viewing Distance) |
OVD (Optimum Viewing Distance) |
STD (720×576) |
STD HD (1280×720) |
FULL HD (1920×1080) |
4K (4096×2160) |
|
P1.2 |
1.2m |
2.4m |
0.8m x 0.6m |
1.5m x 0.8m |
2.3m x 1.2m |
4.9m x 2.5m |
|
P2 |
2m |
4m |
1.4m x 1.1m |
2.5m x 1.4m |
3.8m x 2.1m |
8.1m x 4.3m |
|
P4 |
4m |
8m |
2.8m x 2.3m |
5.1m x 2.8m |
7.6m x 4.3m |
16.3m x 8.6m |
|
P6 |
6m |
12m |
4.3m x 3.4m |
7.6m x 4.3m |
11.5m x 6.4m |
24.5m x 12.9m |
|
P8 |
8m |
16m |
5.7m x 4.6m |
10.2m x 5.7m |
15.3m x 8.6m |
32.7m x 17.2m |
|
P10 |
10m |
20m |
7.2m x 5.7m |
12.8m x 7.2m |
19.2m x 10.8m |
40.9m x 21.6m |
|
P12 |
12m |
24m |
8.6m x 6.9m |
15.3m x 8.6m |
23m x 12.9m |
49.1m x 25.9m |
|
P16 |
16m |
32m |
11.5m x 9.2m |
20.4m x 11.5m |
30.7m x 17.2m |
65.5m x 34.5m |
|
P20 |
20m |
40m |
14.4m x 11.5m |
25.6m x 14.4m |
38.4m x 21.6m |
81.9m x 43.2m |
|
P25 |
25m |
50m |
18m x 14.4m |
32m x 18m |
48m x 27m |
102.4m x 54m |
|
P34 |
34m |
68m |
24.4m x 19.5m |
43.5m x 24.4m |
65.2m x 36.7m |
139.2m x 73.4m |
|
P66 |
66m |
132m |
47.5m x 38m |
84.4m x 47.5m |
126.7m x 71.2m |
270.3m x 142.5m |
To calculate the screen size for a standard resolution display, you need to multiple the resolutions by the pitch. For instance, you will get a screen size of 19.2 m x 10.8 m, if you have a full high-definition screen (1920 x 1080), at a pitch of 10mm. Below is the table that will provide you complete information regarding text height for viewing distance. Keeping in mind the height and the pixel, it will allow you to install a good LED digital sign.
|
STD 720 x 576 |
STD HD 1280 x720 |
Full HD 1920 x 1080 |
4K 4096 x 2160 |
||||
|
Pixel |
Screen Size |
Pixel |
Screen Size |
Pixel |
Screen Size |
Pixel |
Screen Size |
|
P10 |
7.2m x 5.7m |
P10 |
12.8m x 7.2m |
P4 |
7.6m x 4.3m |
P10 |
40.9m x 21.6m |
|
P4 |
2.8m x 2.3 m |
P4 |
5.1m x 2.8m |
P1.2 |
2.3m x 1.2m |
P4 |
16.3m x 8.6m |
|
P1.2 |
0.8m x 0.6m |
P1.2 |
1.5m x 0.8m |
|
|
P1.2 |
4.9m x 2.5m |
We are the tables above will help you choose the right digital LED signs for your school. Keep in mind that it is important to consider the resolution, the distance and the placement of the LED signboard to generate effective results.
