Looking at the dot pitch figures for monitor screens, does a higher figure indicate that the screen appearance is finer and more easily read, or is that a decreasing number? Frank Johnson
The dot pitch of a monitor tells you the distance between pixels in millimetres, so smaller is better. A dot pitch of 0.28 offers more resolution than a dot pitch of 0.31.
Alas, it's rarely quite that simple. First, some manufacturers quote "horizontal dot pitch" because this gives a smaller number (0.866 times smaller) than measuring the diagonal. Second, the dots on the screen are created by holes in a mask behind the screen, and some manufacturers quote the "mask pitch" instead - another smaller number. Third, you can't compare numbers between traditional monitors and Sony Trinitron-style models that use a mask with vertical stripes: this should be called a "stripe pitch".
Finally, the dot pitch is an indication, but not a guarantee. A well-designed and well-made monitor will probably outperform an inferior model even if the dot pitch says otherwise. Dot pitch isn't a lot of help in choosing a monitor, but if you use it, make sure you are comparing like with like.
