LED Technology Explained How red, green and blue light combine to create images on LED screens

LED technology is the foundation of all LED screens. It defines how images are created, how colours are displayed, and why LED displays perform so differently from other screen types. Understanding this technology helps explain brightness, resolution, viewing distance and overall image quality.

What Is LED Technology?

LED technology uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as individual light sources. Each diode emits light when an electrical current passes through a semiconductor material. In display applications, these diodes are arranged into clusters (often red, green and blue) to create full-colour images.

Unlike traditional LCD displays, which rely on a separate backlight shining through liquid crystals, LED displays are self-emissive meaning every pixel generates its own light. This removes the need for a backlight layer and allows for significantly higher brightness, improved contrast and greater colour accuracy.

Because each pixel is independently controlled, LED screens can achieve:

Exceptional brightness levels suitable for daylight visibility
Deeper blacks and stronger contrast ratios
Wide viewing angles without colour distortion
Seamless panel configurations without visible bezels

Their modular construction also allows flexible sizing and shapes, enabling curved displays or custom-built installations that are not constrained by standard screen dimensions.

How LEDs Produce Light and Colour

An LED produces light through a controlled electronic process inside a semiconductor material. When electricity passes through the diode, energy is released in the form of light.

Different materials emit different colours of light. In LED screens, this principle is used to create three primary colours:

Red
Green
Blue

Rather than displaying these colours separately, LED screens combine them within each pixel. By varying the intensity of red, green and blue light, the screen can reproduce a full range of colours, from subtle gradients to bright whites.

This process is known as RGB colour mixing, and it is the basis of all full-colour LED displays.

Importantly, this colour control happens electronically, not mechanically, which allows LED screens to respond quickly, display smooth motion and maintain consistent colour accuracy across large surfaces.

How RGB Colour Mixing Creates Images

Each pixel on an LED screen contains red, green and blue light sources. The brightness of each colour is adjusted independently.

For example:

Red + green = yellow
Red + blue = magenta
Red + green + blue at equal intensity = white

Accurate colour reproduction depends on precise electronic control of these light levels, which is why LED quality, calibration and control systems all play a critical role in final image performance.

LED Technology vs Other Display Technologies

LED screens differ fundamentally from LCD and OLED displays:

LED screens generate light directly at each pixel, enabling very high brightness and seamless panel joins.
LCD screens use a backlight that shines through a liquid crystal layer, limiting brightness and creating visible bezels in video walls.
OLED screens are also self-emissive but are typically limited in size and brightness for commercial signage.

Because of this, LED technology is often chosen for:

Large-format displays
High ambient light environments
Installations where seamless visuals are critical

Brightness and Image Control

One of the key advantages of LED technology is brightness control. Each LED’s output can be adjusted independently, allowing:

High peak brightness for daylight visibility
Lower brightness for indoor comfort
Smooth transitions between light and dark areas

This level of control also improves contrast and ensures content remains legible across a wide range of environments.

Where LED Technology Performs Best

LED technology is particularly effective in:

Indoor feature walls and atriums
Outdoor signage and billboards
Retail and experiential installations
Corporate lobbies and broadcast environments

Its scalability means screens can be built to almost any size or shape without visible joins.

Common Misunderstandings About LED Technology

“LED screens are the same as LED TVs”
Not quite. Many consumer TVs are LCD panels with LED backlights. True LED screens use LEDs as the actual image-forming pixels.

“Higher brightness always means better quality”
Brightness alone does not guarantee good image quality. Colour accuracy, calibration and pixel pitch are equally important.