Matrix

What is Matrix

An LED display’s matrix refers to the number of pixels arranged vertically and horizontally on the screen. For example, a display with a matrix resolution of 64 (height) × 192 (width) has 64 pixels from top to bottom and 192 pixels from left to right.

A higher matrix count means:

More lines of text can be displayed
More characters per line are possible
Sharper images and video playback

How Pitch Affects Matrix and Resolution

When you choose a smaller pitch, you’re packing more pixels into the same physical space, increasing the matrix and improving overall display quality.

Let’s say you’re purchasing a sign that measures 4′ tall × 8′ wide:

A 15mm pitch LED sign provides a matrix of approximately 80×160, totaling 12,800 pixels.
A 9mm pitch version of the same size would increase the matrix of 128×256, which equals 32,768 pixels—over 2.5 times more pixels than the 15mm display in the same space.
Choosing a 6mm pitch boosts that even further, and a 4mm pitch delivers ultra-high resolution with dramatically higher pixel counts, ideal for close-up viewing or detailed graphics and video.

Why It Matters

Higher matrix = better display performance. Whether you’re showing scrolling text, high-quality images, or video content, a smaller pitch results in a higher pixel matrix—and that means more flexibility, more detail, and a more professional-looking sign.

Aspect Ratio

As our team engages schools to help them decide which school sign system will best meet their needs, a major consideration is the aspect ratio of the sign.

Aspect ratio is essentially defined as the relationship of the height of the sign to its width. If a school has a strong desire to consistently show images and video on their new school marquee sign, our team will guide towards a 16:9 aspect ration – similar to what you see in modern television. For example, a 10mm 96×192 (the matrix is 96 pixels tall x 192 pixels) is a 16:9 aspect ratio. Some schools want to focus on text messages in which case a stock ticker type sign with an 8:2 ratio. Our LED signs are even capable of segmenting portions of the LED screen for different content. For example, the bottom portion of the screen used at a school football stadium might be a strip across the bottom of the screen solely used for rotating advertisements, the left and right sides of the screen might be the scoreboard, while the middle of the screen shows live video of the game.