The brightness of screens on laptops, televisions, tablets and other display-equipped devices is measured in nits, or nanometers. Nit is actually just slang for candela per square meter. Contrarily, luminance is all about how strong a light source can be.

Thus, having a bright display appropriate for your device is ensured by understanding how to measure it and determining the ideal number of nits. Thus, what exactly is a nit brightness and why is it significant? The measurement of nits is also a concern. The information about nits below will answer any questions you may have if they are currently racing through your mind.

What Are Nits?

Nits are the actual glowing things inside an LCD screen, made up of a material like phosphorous. The units used to describe them are typically candela per square meter, or cd/m2. Nits can also be called brightness, luminance, or simply “Candlepower”.

How to Determine Nits for Screen?

Screen brightness is measured in nits. Per square meter, one nit is equivalent to one candela. The unit used to measure light intensity is the candela. The screen will be brighter the higher the nit count.

Nits can be divided into three categories: peak, sustained, and maximum.

Peak nits are a measurement of how bright a screen can make it white. This is typically not sustainable and is typically only accomplished for a brief period of time.

Sustained nits are a measure of the average brightness that a screen can display over time. This gauges a screen’s brightness more accurately in real-world situations.

The highest brightness a screen can produce is measured in maximum nits, regardless of how long it can maintain that brightness.

The peak sustained, and maximum nits should all be taken into account when selecting a screen. A high peak nit value might sound impressive, but if the sustained nit value is low, it will not be very useful in everyday use. The same holds true for a high maximum nit value—it is only useful if the sustained nit value is also high.

How Bright is a Nit?

A “nit” is a unit of measurement used to determine the brightness of a digital display. 250 nits (cd/m2) to 1,000 nits or more are the typical nit ratings. The nit rating will be higher the brighter the display.

A typical laptop screen has a brightness of around 200 nits, whereas a smartphone screen may have a brightness of 400 nits, to give you an idea of what this means practically. The brightness of a premium TV maybe 1,000 nits or higher.

You should search for a display with a high nit rating if you need a very bright one, such as for an outdoor digital signage application. However, it’s crucial to remember that other elements, such as contrast ratio and pixel density, can also impact how visible a display is in various lighting situations.

Why Do You Need to Care About Nits Brightness?

A digital display’s brightness is expressed in terms of nits, a measurement unit. The word “nit” is derived from the Latin word “nitere,” which means “to shine.” One nit is equal to one candela per square meter (cd/m2).

A display’s brightness is crucial because it can influence how simple it is to see the content on the screen. For instance, a brighter display will be simpler to see in a room with bright lighting, whereas a dimmer display will be simpler to see in a room with low lighting.

However, nits are not the only factor that influences how simple it is to see a display. Aspects like screen size, display resolution, and contrast ratio are crucial as well.

If you’re looking for a new digital display, the brightness may be advertised in nits. For instance, a display that claims to be 500 nits bright will be twice as bright as one that claims to be 250 nits bright.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that there isn’t a single, accepted method in the industry for determining brightness in nits, so various manufacturers may employ various approaches. Due to this, comparing the brightness of two displays may be challenging.

If you’re trying to decide between two displays and one is advertised as being brighter than the other, you should try to find out more about how the manufacturer measured the brightness. The opinions of clients who have used both displays may also be interesting to you.

Differences Between Nits and Lumens

If you’re in the market for a new TV, you’ve probably come across the terms “nit” and “lumen.” It’s simple to mix the two up, but they actually measure different things. Here’s a quick rundown of the difference between nits and lumens.

Brightness is measured by nits. Simply put, the screen will be brighter the higher the nit count. Nits are most crucial when contrasting TVs that will be used in well-lit spaces, such as during the day.

The amount of light emitted by a projector is measured in lumens, however. More light is emitted and an image will appear brighter as the lumen count increases. When comparing projectors that will be used in dark rooms, lumens are crucial.

How to Measure Nits Brightness?

Most of the time, you can learn about the nits of your device by looking up its product specifications on its manufacturer’s official website, sheet specifications, etc. It may be mentioned in thorough product reviews how many nits a specific device has. Alternatively, you can use available apps or software to help you determine your device’s nits brightness.

Now, if you don’t feel like downloading programs just to find out, you can also use tools to assist you in your search. A digital lux meter is a practical tool for the job. Make the necessary calculations to obtain the display’s nits brightness after determining your device’s lux amount.

Calculated to be 3.14159 lux, one nit. The estimated number of nits your device’s display contains can be obtained by multiplying that figure by the reading on your digital lux meter.

What is the Ideal Nits Brightness?

Now that you’re past the technicalities of a nit and know what it is, it’s time for this critical question: what is the ideal nits brightness? In response to your inquiry, the suggested nit level varies depending on the type of display.

For example, tablets and smartphones typically have a minimum brightness of 2 nits and a maximum brightness of 1000 nits. A minimum brightness of 500 nits is ideal for tablets and smartphones. If your mobile device has that amount of nits, they should be enough to use in bright rooms and the sunny outdoors.

Similar considerations apply to laptops and computer monitors, which typically have nits between 200 and 600. On the other hand, televisions should have 600 or more nits for excellent display, especially for high dynamic range TV types.

How to Check Brightness Nits on a Laptop?

On a laptop, there are two ways to measure brightness nits. First, you can use a mobile app, and second, you can use your laptop’s built-in display settings.

Installing an app like DisplayCal or CalMAN onto your smartphone is the first step in using a mobile one. Open the app after installation and follow the guidance to calibrate your laptop screen. After calibration is complete, the app will provide you with a readout of your screen’s brightness in nits.

To use your laptop’s built-in display settings, open the “Display” panel in your laptop’s control panel. Locate the “Brightness” setting and drag the slider to the right or left to increase or decrease screen brightness. Once the desired brightness has been set, check the display panel’s readout to see how many nits are being outputted.

How Does Nit Measurement Help in Screen Selection?

A display’s luminance is measured by nits. A higher nit count means a brighter display. Between 200 and 400 nits is the typical range of brightness for displays. However, some modern, high-end TVs boast maximum luminosities of 1,000 nits or higher.

Why is peak brightness significant? A brighter screen is not only more visible in a well-lit room but also provides a better contrast ratio. In comparison to a display with a lower peak brightness, a higher peak brightness can reproduce whites that are brighter and blacks that are darker. As a result, high-nit screens usually result in images that are more vivid and realistic.

How do nits aid in choosing a screen? It’s crucial to think about the kind of content you’ll be watching when looking for a new TV. If you’re primarily interested in movies and TV shows, then you’ll want to focus on screens with good black levels and darkroom performance. However, you should search for models with high nits ratings if you also intend to use your TV for gaming or other activities where peak brightness is crucial.

Wrapping Up

Considering the nits brightness of a screen display is crucial nowadays, especially for your smartphones or other handheld or portable devices. In contrast to your living room TV, you are more likely to use your mobile devices outside. With that said, if you find yourself struggling to use your smartphone on a sunny day despite maxing out its brightness, it may be time to “nit”-pick the next phone you buy in terms of its offered nits.

Arya Wang