LED 101 / Hardware
LED masks
The black mask between lamps deepens blacks, cuts glare, and on impact-rated walls sits proud of the LEDs so a ball hits plastic first.
An LED mask is the black plastic grid that sits around the lamps on many modules. It does three useful jobs.
First, contrast. The black surface soaks up ambient light so “off” pixels look darker, and the picture does not go grey under gym lights. Second, protection. On impact-oriented walls the mask often sits slightly proud of the LEDs, so a basketball hits the mask instead of the lamp face. Third, appearance. The mask hides the board so the wall reads as a screen, not a circuit board.
Masks need space. Very fine pitches leave little room between SMDs, so some fine-pitch products skip a traditional mask or use a different surface treatment. Coarser gym and outdoor pitches are where masks are common. On outdoor walls, a mask also interacts with sunlight. See the brightness notes for why low winter sun is a hard case.