Editing Dot pitch

{{Short description|Distance between RGB dots (sub-pixels) on a display}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations|date=June 2023}}
{{too technical|date=May 2025}}
}}
[[File:CRT mask types en-de.svg|thumb|290x290px|Some types of pixel layout showing how pixel pitch is measured.]]

'''Dot pitch''' (sometimes called '''line pitch''', '''stripe pitch''', or '''phosphor pitch''') is a specification for a [[computer display]], [[computer printer]], [[image scanner]], or other [[pixel]]-based devices that describe the distance, for example, between dots ([[pixel#Subpixels|sub-pixels]]) on a display screen.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E1p2FDL7P5QC&pg=PA849 |title=Upgrading and Repairing PCs |author=Scott Mueller |year=2004 |isbn=9780789729743 |publisher=[[Que Publishing]] |page=849}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O0FTac_k7CIC&pg=PA117 |pages=117–118 |title=Peter Norton's New Inside the PC |author1=Peter Norton |author2=Scott H. Clark |year=2002 |isbn=9780672322891 |publisher=[[Sams Publishing]]}}</ref> In the case of an [[RGB_color_model|RGB]] color display, the derived unit of '''pixel pitch''' is a measure of the size of a [[triad (monitors)|triad]] plus the distance between triads.

Dot pitch may be measured in linear units (with smaller numbers meaning higher resolution), usually [[millimeters]] (mm), or as a rate, for example, [[dots per inch]] (with a larger number meaning higher resolution).<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p68XfA0MHpoC&pg=PA21 |page=21 |title=Handbook of Display Technology |author=Joseph A. Castellano |year=1992 |isbn=9780121634209 |publisher=[[Elsevier Science]]}}</ref> Closer spacing produces a sharper image (as there are more dots in a given area).<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=szKRxt0ctS0C&pg=PA135 |page=135 |title=Computer hardware - Installation, Interfacing, Troubleshooting and Maintenance |author=K. L. James |year=2013 |isbn=9788120347984 |publisher=PHI Learning}}</ref> However, other factors may affect image quality, including:	
* Undocumented or inadequately documented measurement method, complicated by ignorance of the existence of different methods
* Confusion of pixels and subpixels
* Element spacing varying across screen area (e.g., widening in corners compared to center)
* Differing [[pixel geometry|pixel geometries]]
* Differing image and pixel aspect ratios
* Miscellanea such as [[Kell factor]] or [[interlaced video]]

The exact difference between horizontal and diagonal dot pitch varies with the design of the monitor (see [[pixel geometry]] and [[Widescreen#Computer displays|widescreen]]), but a typical entry-level 0.28&nbsp;mm (diagonal) monitor has a horizontal pitch of 0.24 or 0.25&nbsp;mm, and a good quality 0.26&nbsp;mm (diagonal) unit has a horizontal pitch of 0.22&nbsp;mm.

The above dot pitch measurement does not apply to [[aperture grille]] displays. Such monitors use continuous vertical phosphor bands on the screen, so the vertical distance between scan lines is limited only by the video input signal's vertical resolution and the thickness of the electron beam, so there is no vertical 'dot pitch' on such devices. Aperture grille only has horizontal 'dot pitch', or otherwise known as 'stripe pitch'.

==Common dot pitch sizes==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
<!-- numbers for megapixel/ppi: calculated and truncated; pixel pitch: taken from manufacturers; screen sizes selected for regular sized laptops and desktop computer monitors; pixel size not a usual measure with other devices (mobile phones, compact devices, televisions, etc -->
|+ Laptop and desktop [[LCD]]s
|- 
!  [[Computer display standard|Display definition]]<br />(—) !! Area<br />([[Megapixel|Mpx]]) !!title="nominal screen diagonal"|Size <br />(in) !! Pitch <br />(μm) !! Resolution<br /> ([[Pixels per inch|ppi]]) 
|-
| align="left" | 1024×768 ([[eXtended Graphics Array|XGA]]) || 0.78 || 15 || 297 || {{0}}85.5
|-
|align=left| 1280×768 ([[Graphics_display_resolution#WXGA 1366 x 768 and similar (WXGA)|WXGA]]) || 0.98 || 15.4 || 262 || {{0}}96.9
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1280×800 (WXGA) ||rowspan="2"| 1.01 || 15.4 || 259 || {{0}}98.0
|-
| 17 || 286 || {{0}}88.8
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1280×1024 ([[SXGA]]) ||rowspan="3" | 1.31 || 17 || 264 || {{0}}96.2
|-
| 18.1 || 280 || {{0}}90.7
|-
| 19 || 294 || {{0}}86.3
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1440×900 ([[Wide Extended Graphics Array|WXGA+]]) ||rowspan="3" | 1.29 || 15.4 || 230 || 110.4
|-
| 17 || 254 || 100.0
|-
| 19 || 285 || {{0}}89.1
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1400×1050 ([[SXGA+]]) ||rowspan="2"| 1.51 || 15 || 214 || 118.6
|-
| 20.1 || 292 || {{0}}87.0
|-
|rowspan="6"| 1680×1050 ([[WSXGA+]]) ||rowspan="6" | 1.76 || 15.4 || 197 || 128.9
|-
| 17 || 218 || 116.5
|-
| 19 || 244 || 104.0
|-
| 20.1 || 258 || {{0}}98.4
|-
| 21 || 269 || {{0}}94.4
|-
| 22 || 282 || {{0}}90.0
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1600×1200 ([[UXGA]]) || rowspan="3" | 1.92 || 15 || 191 || 132.9
|-
| 20.1 || 255 || {{0}}99.6
|-
| 21.3 || 270 || {{0}}94.0
|-
|rowspan="6"| 1920×1200 ([[UXGA#WUXGA|WUXGA]]) ||rowspan="6"| 2.30 || 15.4 || 173 || 146.8
|-
| 17 || 191 || 132.9
|-
| 23 || 258  || {{0}}98.4
|-
| 24 || 270  || {{0}}94.0
|-
| 25.5 || 287 || {{0}}88.5
|-
| 27 || 303 || {{0}}83.8
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2560×1440 ([[QXGA|WQHD]]) ||rowspan="2"| 3.68 || 27 || 233<!--calc: 252?, manuf: 250? --> || 108.8
|-
| 32 || 273  || {{0}}93.0
|-
| 2560×1600 ([[QXGA|WQXGA]]) || 4.09 || 30 || 250<!--calc: 252, manuf: 250--> || 101.6
|-
| 3840×2400 ([[QXGA|WQUXGA]]) || 9.21 || 22.2 || 125 || 203.2
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://members.ping.de/~sven/dpi.html PPI calculator] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230230933/http://members.ping.de/~sven/dpi.html |date=2013-12-30 }} – Shows dot pitch
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20230218083411/https://domotics101.com/ppi-calculator/ Pixels Per Inch PPI Calculator]}} – Determines the number of pixels per inch of your display
* [http://web.forret.com/tools/megapixel.asp Megapixel Calculator] – Identifies aspect ratio and displays photo and video storage requirements for different formats at a given megapixel number

[[Category:Length]]
[[Category:Television technology]]