How to Convert a Candela to a Nit

Luminance is the intensity of light that an object gives off in a certain direction. You can use nits to measure luminance given off by an object. Nits measure the intensity of light given off in a particular direction and striking a specific area. Manufacturers often use nits to describe the luminance of LEDs and LCD screens.

Candelas are another measure of luminance. Candelas per square meter are the standard international measure of luminance. Candelas are almost always given in terms of candelas per a unit of area, but the area can vary, which may lead to some confusion when converting candelas to nits.

Instructions

1. Determine if candelas are given in terms of square meters, square centimeters, square feet or square inches.

2. Convert candelas per square meter to nits using a conversion factor of 1. This is the easiest conversion. Candelas per square meters are equal to nits. If you have 10 candelas per square meter, for example, then you also have 10 nits.

3. Convert candelas per square centimeter to nits using a conversion factor of 10,000. If you have 10 candelas per square centimeter, then you have 100,000 nits.

4. Convert candelas per square foot using a conversion factor of 10.764. If you have 10 candelas per square foot, then you have 107.64 nits.

5. Convert candelas per square inch using a conversion factor of 1,550. If you have 10 candelas per square inch, then you have 15,500 nits.

References

• Lighting Design Knowledge Base: Luminance
• ConvertWorld: Luminance