Every manufacturer in the LED sign industry has their unique ideas of what makes up an LED sign module. This constitution is based on the count and size of LED pixel groupings. In situations where competition is high, additional details such as matrix, pixel pitch and viewing distance should be considered to provide a better comparison.
Pixel pitch is a measurement of how close together the LED clusters are spaced. With this indication, the true resolution of a LED sign can be determined. The general rule of thumb is to observe the horizontal and vertical distance between the centers of each pixel. In other words, a 10mm resolution means that the space between pixels on that particular LED sign is 10mm apart.
Depending on how many pixels a module has, the calculation of the matrix is done. For instance, if a 10mm module has 900 pixels, the matrix calculation would be 30 rows of pixels with 30 pixels each, therefore 30×30=900. Below is a diagram to explain a couple of examples:
| Viewing Area | Module Size | Pixels | Matrix |
| 1 foot X 1 foot | 10mm | 900 | 30×30 |
| 3 feet X 5 feet | 10mm | 13500 | 90×150 |
Some manufacturers may be tricky with a one foot viewing area by giving only 10 inches or 9 inches. Not only does this eliminate the number of pixels but it also reduces the overall viewing area and matrix.
For a consistent comparison of the viewing area of LED signs, the best way is to compare matrices. Keep in mind that universal module sizes allow for the comparison of different resolutions that have the same viewing area. Furthermore, these modules can easily be upgraded to newer structures.
If the matrix of two signs is the same, but the resolution is different, their viewing areas will also vary. See below:
| Module Size | Matrix | Viewing Area | Note |
| 19mm | 96×144 | 6 feet X 9 feet | 44% larger than 12mm sign |
| 12mm | 96×144 | 4 feet X 6 feet | Pixel pitch is higher and will utilize viewing area better |
