LED tape and pixel tape or strips are by far not the only types and shapes of pixels out there. Here are some of the more common types you may not be aware of and where to find them!

Are you curious about how you can use LED tape, pixels, and the like to make your stage lighting show amazing? Let’s dive in!

What To Consider

As you get started, it’s important to know what shapes and sizes of pixels are out there for your use and what you can do with them to enhance your show.

When it comes to LED pixels there are a lot of options out there and it can be a bit overwhelming! But fear not, we at Learn Stage Lighting are here to help go over the most common options out there so that you go into your decision making process better prepared.

Shapes

There are so many different choices and options when it comes to pixel shapes. The shape that most people are familiar with when they think about pixels is the pixel tape, aka LED tape.

Pixel Tape

Pixel tape, or LED tape, is a product that is usually on an adhesive tape. LED tape definitely has its place in the lighting world but it has its downfalls if your audience is back 30 feet or more because it can be quite difficult to see the light that it off-puts.

The benefit of using this tape however is that you have 30-60 pixels per meter, so you do have a lot of pixels all together. This can be great if you’re just doing something simple, but if you need to go a more custom route where you need different lengths of tape here and there on your stage or set you will find that you cannot do a custom job without having to solder. The problem with this is that the soldering points are extremely close together on the pixel tape so you need to have an incredibly steady hand to do a good job with this.

Another issue with the LED tape is that it is not truly reusable.

Pixel Nodes

With pixel nodes you will find that you have a lot more flexibility with your show and set design while still maintaining a lesser cost.

The benefits of pixel nodes are many! The first being that they are on a string, usually about four inches apart, which means that as you place them in your design you are able to choose how far apart your lights are.

Another benefit is that they are easier to repair than other options. The reason for this is that they are all wired together so if you needed to splice, you can easily cut them and reconnect them without having to solder.

Generally these pixel nodes are still relatively inexpensive so you will be able to keep your cost down while having use of a product that is much easier to work with as well as being able to take them a lot farther without having to add power injection than you could with pixel tape.

Other Shapes

Some other shapes you can find to work with through Christmas light vendors besides the bullet node pixels are ball or globe shaped pixels.

Globe Pixels

The cool thing about these are that you are able to string these through the air, straight up and down as a back drop, or many other versatile options creatively.

These ball shaped nodes do cost a little more because it has twice the LEDs as normal pixels but they really do look neat and add more intrigue to your set or show.

Waterfall Tubes

Another lighting option you can find through the Christmas lighting world are waterfall tubes. These can easily be hung on hooks throughout your set or auditorium, or venue and provide you with 60 pixels all in one, all controllable from whatever program you desire.

Closing

The cool thing about pixels is that there are nearly an unlimited number of shapes and sizes that you can use for your lighting display. It really just depends on how creative you want to be and what your personal preferences and needs are for your display.