Scrolling boards are simple, but buying one is confusing. Listings talk about P10, P5, 32×16, SMD and DIP without explaining what they mean, and a board that looks bright in a showroom can be unreadable across a street at noon. This page explains the specs in plain terms, how big a board you need, how many characters it can show, how to write messages that work, how the boards are programmed, the Dubai rules, what they cost and how to keep one running.
What an LED scrolling board is (and who uses one)
An LED scrolling board is a rectangular display built from LED modules, controlled by a small computer that stores messages and plays them as scrolling, flashing or static text. Also called a moving message sign, LED ticker, running sign board, reader board or electronic marquee, it's the simplest and cheapest form of digital signage.
Every board has the same parts:
- LED modules. Standard panels, usually 320 × 160 mm, each with a grid of LEDs. Modules are joined side by side and stacked to make the board.
- A controller. A small card that stores the messages and drives the LEDs. It receives new content by USB stick, Wi-Fi, phone app or network cable.
- A power supply. Converts mains power to the 5 V the modules need.
- A frame or cabinet. An aluminium frame for indoor boards, or a sealed, weatherproof cabinet for outdoor ones.
Who uses scrolling boards in Dubai
- Pharmacies: offers, services, "open 24 hours", health messages.
- Exchange houses: live or regularly updated currency rates.
- Restaurants and cafés: today's specials, delivery offers, iftar timings in Ramadan.
- Clinics and labs: services, doctors' timings, queue information.
- Mosques and community centres: prayer times, announcements, Ramadan timings.
- Schools: welcome messages, events, notices at the gate.
- Offices and showrooms: welcome messages for visitors, promotions, news.
- Petrol stations, car washes and garages: prices and offers visible from the road.
The appeal is simple: the message can change in minutes without reprinting anything, and moving light catches the eye from further away than a static poster.
Scrolling board or screen?
A scrolling board isn't the only way to show changing messages. A commercial LCD screen shows sharp images, menus and video, but it's harder to read in sunlight and costs more to run. A full LED video wall shows anything, but costs far more per square metre. A scrolling board is the right choice when the message is mainly text, it needs to be read from a distance or in bright light, and the budget is modest. If you want photos, menus or video, see our digital signage options instead.
Related displays: for live prices, gold rates and stock tickers, see LED ticker and rate displays. For handwritten boards that glow, see LED writing boards.
The spec explained
The key numbers on any LED scrolling board are the pixel pitch (P10, P5 and so on), the module size and resolution, the number of colours, and whether it's built for indoor or outdoor use. Together they decide how sharp, bright, readable and durable the board is.
| Term | What it means | Typical values |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel pitch (P) | Distance between LEDs in millimetres | P10 outdoors, P4–P5 indoors, P6–P8 in between |
| Module | The standard panel the board is built from | 320 × 160 mm |
| Module resolution | LEDs across × LEDs high on one module | P10: 32 × 16; P5: 64 × 32 |
| Colour | Single colour, two colours or full colour (RGB) | Red, white, amber, green, blue; or full colour |
| Brightness | Light output in cd/m² (nits) | Indoor 800–2,000; outdoor 5,000+ |
| IP rating | Protection against dust and water | Indoor IP20–IP43; outdoor IP65 front |
| DIP or SMD | Type of LED | DIP brighter for single colour outdoors; SMD smoother for full colour |
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch is the gap between the centres of neighbouring LEDs. A P10 board has LEDs 10 mm apart; a P5 board, 5 mm apart. A smaller pitch packs in more LEDs, so text and images look smoother up close, but costs more. For text read from across a road, P10 is the standard; for a board inside a shop or above a reception desk, P4 or P5 looks much sharper.
Modules and resolution
Most scrolling boards are built from 320 × 160 mm modules. A manufacturer's spec for a typical P10 outdoor module lists 32 × 16 pixels per module, 512 LEDs in all, and a recommended viewing distance of 8 to 25 metres (Colorlit). A P5 module of the same size has 64 × 32 pixels, four times as many.
The board's size is a multiple of the module size. Three P10 modules side by side make a board 960 × 160 mm with 96 × 16 pixels; stack two rows and you get 960 × 320 mm with 96 × 32 pixels.
Single colour or full colour
- Single colour (red, white, amber, blue or green) is the classic scrolling sign. It's bright, cheap, easy to read and ideal for text.
- Two colours (typically red and green, giving yellow where they mix) let you highlight prices or key words.
- Full colour (RGB) shows any colour, logos and simple images or short videos. It costs more and, for plain text, isn't always easier to read than a bright single colour.
For most shops, a bright single-colour board is the best value. Choose full colour if you want to show your logo in its colours, product images or short animations.
Brightness and IP rating
Brightness is what makes a board readable in Dubai sun. The Colorlit spec lists 5,500 cd/m² or more for its full-colour outdoor P10 module, with IP65 protection on the front (Colorlit). Indoor boards need far less, and are often too bright at full power indoors, so a dimming schedule matters. IP65 at the front means dust-tight and protected against water jets; the back must also be sealed by the cabinet.
Size, lines and characters
The height of the board in pixels decides how many lines of text it can show, and the width decides how many characters are visible at once. A board 16 pixels high shows one line of English text; 32 pixels gives two lines, or one large line that also suits Arabic well.
| Board (P10) | Size | Pixels | What it shows well |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × 3 modules | 960 × 160 mm | 96 × 16 | One scrolling line, about 12–16 characters visible |
| 1 × 6 modules | 1,920 × 160 mm | 192 × 16 | One line, about 24–30 characters visible |
| 2 × 4 modules | 1,280 × 320 mm | 128 × 32 | Two lines, or one large line; good for Arabic |
| 2 × 6 modules | 1,920 × 320 mm | 192 × 32 | Two lines with prices; logo and text |
| 3 × 6 modules | 1,920 × 480 mm | 192 × 48 | Three lines, or large text with a small line underneath |
The character counts are approximate; they depend on the font. Narrow fonts fit more characters but are harder to read from a distance.
How far away can people read it?
On a one-line P10 board, the characters are up to 160 mm tall, which reads comfortably from across a typical street. A common sign rule of thumb is about 25 mm of letter height for every 3 metres of distance for eye-catching text, and about four times that distance as the furthest point it can still be read. So:
- Indoors, 2 to 8 metres: a P4 or P5 board with characters 50 to 100 mm tall is plenty.
- Shopfront read from the pavement, 5 to 15 metres: P10 or P8, one or two lines.
- Read from a road or car park, 20 to 50 metres: P10, two lines or more, so each character can be taller, and a bright colour.
P10, P8, P5 or P4?
| Pitch | LEDs per 320 × 160 mm area | Closest comfortable viewing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| P10 | 32 × 16 | About 8–10 m | Outdoor boards read from the street or road |
| P8 | 40 × 20 | About 6–8 m | Outdoor boards read from the pavement |
| P5 | 64 × 32 | About 4–5 m | Indoor boards, windows, receptions |
| P4 | 80 × 40 | About 3–4 m | Indoor boards read close up, smooth Arabic |
A rough rule is that the closest comfortable viewing distance in metres is about the pitch in millimetres. A finer pitch looks smoother but costs more and isn't needed for text read from across a road.
Arabic text
Arabic needs more pixels than English to look right, because letters join, dots and marks sit above and below the line, and some letter shapes need detail. On a 16-pixel line, Arabic can be shown but often looks cramped and harder to read. We recommend boards at least 32 pixels high (two P10 modules, or one P5 module) for Arabic, and a proper Arabic LED font rather than a converted one. For bilingual messages, alternating English and Arabic screens usually works better than squeezing both onto one line.
Width and wall space
The board needs to fit the space without crowding your shop sign. Above a door, a slim one-line board often fits under the fascia. In a window, measure the glass and allow for the frame. For a pole or pylon, the board must fit the structure and its wind load.
Indoor, outdoor and double-sided boards
Indoor boards are lighter, thinner and use finer pitches; outdoor boards are sealed against dust and water, brighter, and built in aluminium or steel cabinets. Double-sided boards show messages on both faces, for signs that project from a wall or stand by a road.
Indoor boards
Indoor boards suit receptions, waiting rooms, counters, prayer halls and the inside of shop windows. They can use P4 or P5 for sharper text, run at lower brightness, and are light enough to hang from a ceiling or fix to a wall. Behind a sunny shop window, though, an indoor board may be too dim; a window-facing board needs outdoor brightness, even if it's inside.
Outdoor boards
Outdoor boards are built from outdoor-rated modules in a sealed cabinet with gaskets, ventilation and a waterproof power supply. In Dubai the main enemies are heat and dust, not rain, so we pay attention to:
- Ventilation and heat. Power supplies and controllers fail early when they cook inside a sealed black box in the sun. Cabinets need vents or fans, and boards facing west need extra care.
- Dust. Filters and seals keep sand out of the electronics.
- Brightness control. Full brightness at noon, much lower at night, set by a schedule or light sensor.
- Mounting. Wall brackets, poles or pylon frames rated for the board's weight and wind load.
Double-sided boards
A double-sided board has two faces back to back, usually in a projecting frame from a wall or on a pole. It's the best choice where people approach from both directions, such as a pharmacy on a busy street or a school gate. Both faces can show the same message or different ones.
Where to mount the board
Placement decides whether anyone reads the board. A few practical points:
- Within the natural line of sight. For pedestrians, the bottom of the board at about 2 to 2.5 metres is easy to see without craning. For drivers, higher and facing the traffic direction.
- Not competing with the fascia. A slim board below or beside the shop sign works better than one that covers it.
- Out of direct afternoon sun where possible. A board facing west fights the sun for hours; a small canopy or a north- or east-facing wall helps readability and keeps the electronics cooler.
- Near power. Plan a socket or spur close to the board so cables stay short and hidden.
- Reachable for service. Outdoor cabinets should open from the front or have safe access behind, so a module or power supply can be swapped without a crane.
- Inside the window. If the board hangs behind glass, leave a small gap for air and avoid tinted or reflective glass, which hides the LEDs in daylight.
Writing messages people actually read
A scrolling board only works if people can read the message in the few seconds they see it. Short messages, steady speeds and a clear structure make far more difference than the board's size or colour.
- Keep it short. Aim for five to eight words per message. "Pharmacy open 24 hours" works; a sentence about all your services doesn't.
- One idea per message. Split a long list into separate messages that rotate.
- Don't scroll too fast. If people have to wait for the start of a message to come round again, they've already walked or driven past. A moderate speed, or static text that changes every few seconds, is often easier to read than continuous scrolling.
- Use static screens for key facts. Prices, opening hours and phone numbers are easier to read when they stay still.
- Avoid constant flashing. It's tiring to look at, annoying for neighbours, and may conflict with rules on moving content.
- Use capitals carefully. All caps is fine for short words on low-resolution boards; for longer text, mixed case is easier to read.
- Leave a gap. A short pause or blank between messages helps people see where one ends and the next starts.
- Update it. An offer that ended last week makes the business look careless.
Message ideas
- Daily or weekly offers, with the price as a static screen.
- Opening hours, especially in Ramadan and on holidays.
- Prayer times and announcements for mosques and community centres.
- Queue or token numbers in clinics and service centres.
- Welcome messages for visitors to offices and hotels.
- Time, date and temperature, which most controllers can show automatically.
Programming and control
Scrolling boards are programmed with free software on a computer or an app on a phone, then updated by USB stick, Wi-Fi, a network cable or, on some boards, a 4G connection. You type the messages, choose the effects, speed and font, set a schedule, and send it to the board.
How messages get to the board
- USB stick. Write the program on a computer, save it to a USB stick and plug it into the controller. Simple and reliable, but someone has to go to the board.
- Wi-Fi. Connect your phone or laptop to the board's Wi-Fi, or to your shop's network, and send updates from inside the shop.
- Network cable (LAN). The most reliable link for a permanent installation, managed from an office computer.
- 4G or cloud control. Update boards in several branches from anywhere, through an online account.
What the software can do
Common controller software lets you build programs that combine text, images, time, countdown timers and sensor data such as temperature. The manual for one widely used system, HD2020, describes programs containing text, images, time, weather, countdowns and temperature and humidity, exported to a USB drive or sent directly to the display (HD2020 manual).
Useful features to ask for:
- Scheduling, so the breakfast offer runs only in the morning and the board switches off at closing.
- Brightness schedules or a light sensor, for full brightness by day and less at night.
- Clock and countdowns, for Ramadan timings, sale end dates and events.
- Arabic font support, tested before installation.
- Phone app control, which most shop owners find easier than computer software.
Many boxed boards come with Windows-only software. One US retailer's 160 × 64 pixel board, for example, notes that its software works only with Windows and not on a Mac (North State Signs). We fit controllers with phone app control and set up the first messages for you, then show your staff how to change them.
Prayer times, Ramadan and holidays
Mosques, community centres and many businesses use scrolling boards for prayer times and Ramadan timings. Most controllers have a built-in clock, so the board can show the time and date automatically, but prayer times change daily and need to be loaded as a schedule or updated regularly. We can set up a year's prayer times or iftar and suhoor timings in advance, so staff only need to check the board, not reprogram it. For businesses, it's worth preparing a set of holiday messages, such as Eid greetings, National Day messages and changed opening hours, and scheduling them ahead so they appear on time without anyone remembering.
Several boards or branches
If you run several branches, a cloud or 4G controller lets one person update every board from a phone, with different messages for each branch where needed. It costs a little more per board but saves sending staff to each site with a USB stick, and lets head office keep messages consistent.
Rules in Dubai
Scrolling boards are allowed for promotions and information, but in Dubai they can't replace your shop's trade-name sign, outdoor boards may need approval, and boards in vehicles have their own rules. Check these before buying.
A scrolling board can't be your shop name sign
Dubai's 2026 shopfront framework, summarised by the Dubai Media Office, says each shop may display one trade name only and that changing or animated content, including videos or moving images, is not permitted on trade-name signage (Dubai Media Office). So your shop's name must stay on a fixed sign, such as 3D letters, a light box or LED sign board, and a scrolling board can show offers and information alongside it. See our shop signs guide for the full rules.
Outdoor boards and permits
Boards inside your shop or behind the window are generally treated as part of your interior. Boards fixed to the outside of the building, on poles or facing roads, are more likely to need approval from the relevant authority, and malls and landlords usually have their own rules on moving displays. We check this at the survey and handle applications for outdoor boards. Our digital signage guide explains which authority covers which location.
LED message boards in cars
Small programmable LED boards for car rear windows are widely sold online, and we supply them too, but check the rules before using one on the road. A UAE guide to RTA car modification rules notes that lights that affect other drivers are forbidden (Royal Star), and advertising on a vehicle needs an RTA permit, with unauthorised stickers fined Dh500 (Khaleej Times). In practice, car boards are best kept for parked vehicles, events and display use, set to low brightness and switched off while driving, unless you've confirmed with the RTA that your use is allowed.
How much does an LED scrolling board cost?
LED scrolling boards are priced mainly by size, pixel pitch, colour and whether they're built for indoor or outdoor use. A small indoor single-colour board costs a few hundred dirhams; a large outdoor full-colour board with a structure costs several thousand. The ranges below are typical Dubai prices before VAT and are a guide only.
| Board | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Indoor single colour, about 1 m × 16 cm (P10 or P5) | AED 250–500 |
| Outdoor single colour, about 1 m × 16 cm, sealed cabinet | AED 450–1,000 |
| Outdoor single colour, about 2 m × 32 cm (two lines) | AED 1,200–2,500 |
| Outdoor full colour, about 2 m × 32 cm | AED 1,800–3,800 |
| Double-sided outdoor board with projecting frame | AED 3,500–10,000 |
| Car rear-window LED board | AED 200–600 |
| Installation, power and set-up | AED 250–1,200 |
What changes the price
- Size: more modules, more cost.
- Pixel pitch: finer pitch (P5 instead of P10) uses four times as many LEDs per module.
- Colour: full colour costs more than single colour.
- Outdoor build: sealed cabinets, outdoor modules and power supplies, and ventilation.
- Control: Wi-Fi, app and 4G controllers cost more than USB-only.
- Installation: brackets, poles, double-sided frames, power runs and work at height.
How to compare quotes
Ask each supplier for the pitch, the number of modules and pixels, the brightness in cd/m², the IP rating of the modules and cabinet, the controller and how it's updated, whether Arabic fonts are included, the power supply brand, and the warranty on modules and electronics separately. Two boards with the same outside size can differ a lot on these points, and the cheaper one usually saves on brightness, sealing or the power supply.
Boxed online boards vs an installed board
Ready-made boards from online marketplaces are cheap and fine for some indoor uses. An installed board costs more but is built for the location, sized for the reading distance, sealed for the weather and supported locally.
| Boxed online board | Installed board | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Low | Higher |
| Size | Fixed sizes | Made to fit your space |
| Outdoor use | Often only splash-resistant (e.g. IP45) | Sealed cabinet, outdoor modules |
| Brightness | Varies; often too dim for a sunny window | Chosen for the location, with dimming |
| Arabic | Often poor or missing fonts | Tested Arabic fonts |
| Software | Often Windows-only, English only | App control, set up for you |
| Power and fixing | Plug and adapter; you mount it | Wired safely and fixed properly |
| Support | Return by post | Local repairs and spare modules |
A boxed board is a reasonable choice for a short-term indoor use, such as a counter display. For anything outdoors, behind a sunny window, or that your business depends on every day, an installed board saves money over its life.
Power, lifespan and repairs
LED scrolling boards use little power for their size and last many years, but their weak points are the power supply, the controller and individual modules, especially in heat. A manufacturer's spec for a full-colour P10 outdoor module lists average power of 250 watts per square metre, up to 580 watts at maximum, and an LED life of 100,000 hours or more (Colorlit). Single-colour boards use much less.
Running cost
A one-line single-colour board about a metre long typically draws a few tens of watts while showing text, because only some LEDs are lit at any moment. Running 12 hours a day, that's a few dirhams a month on a DEWA bill. A large full-colour outdoor board costs more, but still far less than most people expect.
Common faults
- A row or block of dark LEDs. Usually a failed module, which can be swapped in minutes if a spare is kept.
- Flickering or a dead board. Often the power supply, especially in a hot, poorly ventilated cabinet.
- Garbled text or a board that won't update. Usually the controller or its settings; often fixed remotely or by reloading the program.
- Dim patches. Ageing LEDs or modules from different batches. Spare modules from the same batch avoid this.
Keeping it running
- Keep a spare module and power supply, especially for outdoor boards.
- Make sure the cabinet is ventilated and filters are cleaned.
- Set a brightness schedule, which reduces heat and extends LED life.
- Switch the board off when the shop is closed if it doesn't need to run overnight.
We repair scrolling boards, including ones we didn't make, and keep common modules and power supplies in stock.
How we make and install them
- Survey. We check the space, reading distance, sun, power and mounting.
- Proposal. We recommend size, pitch, colour and control, with a mockup on a photo of your shopfront.
- Build. We assemble the modules, controller and power supply in an indoor frame or outdoor cabinet, load Arabic fonts and test the board for at least 24 hours.
- Installation. We fix the board, connect power, set brightness schedules and load your first messages.
- Training. We show your staff how to change messages from the app or computer.
Typical lead time is 3–7 working days.