Nits (cd/m²)
The nit, or candela per square meter (cd/m²), is the unit of luminance: how bright a surface or screen looks from a given direction.
Convert nits to any luminance unit
1 nit = 0.2918635079 foot-lamberts
Quick facts
- Unit
- Nit (plural: nits)
- Symbol
- cd/m²
- Measures
- Luminance
- System
- Units
- Definition
- One candela per square meter.
- Also written
- candela per square meter, nt
1 nit in other units
| Foot-lamberts | 0.2918635079 fL |
What is a nit?
The nit, or candela per square meter (cd/m²), is the unit of luminance: how bright a surface or screen looks from a given direction. Phone, TV and monitor brightness and HDR video standards are all specified in nits.
Where the nit sits among luminance units
The nit is number 2 of 7 on our scale of luminance units, ordered from smallest to largest.
What nits are used for
- Display brightness specifications for phones, laptops, monitors and TVs.
- HDR video mastering (HDR10 content is often mastered at 1,000 or 4,000 nits).
- Road-tunnel and sign lighting standards.
Nits in real life
- A typical office monitor: 250–350 nits.
- A flagship phone at peak outdoor brightness: 2,000–3,000 nits.
- An HDR TV highlight: 1,000–2,000 nits.
- A clear blue sky: about 7,000 nits.
Top nit conversions
Common amounts of nits
- 0.1 cd/m²
- 0.2 cd/m²
- 0.3 cd/m²
- 0.4 cd/m²
- 0.5 cd/m²
- 0.6 cd/m²
- 0.7 cd/m²
- 0.8 cd/m²
- 0.9 cd/m²
- 1 cd/m²
- 1.5 cd/m²
- 2 cd/m²
- 2.5 cd/m²
- 3 cd/m²
- 3.5 cd/m²
- 4 cd/m²
- 4.5 cd/m²
- 5 cd/m²
- 6 cd/m²
- 7 cd/m²
- 7.5 cd/m²
- 8 cd/m²
- 9 cd/m²
- 10 cd/m²
- 11 cd/m²
- 12 cd/m²
- 13 cd/m²
- 14 cd/m²
- 15 cd/m²
- 16 cd/m²
- 17 cd/m²
- 18 cd/m²
- 19 cd/m²
- 20 cd/m²
- 21 cd/m²
- 22 cd/m²
- 23 cd/m²
- 24 cd/m²
- 25 cd/m²
- 26 cd/m²
- 27 cd/m²
- 28 cd/m²
- 29 cd/m²
- 30 cd/m²
- 31 cd/m²
- 32 cd/m²
- 33 cd/m²
- 34 cd/m²
- 35 cd/m²
- 36 cd/m²
- 37 cd/m²
- 38 cd/m²
- 39 cd/m²
- 40 cd/m²
- 41 cd/m²
- 42 cd/m²
- 43 cd/m²
- 44 cd/m²
- 45 cd/m²
- 46 cd/m²
- 47 cd/m²
- 48 cd/m²
- 49 cd/m²
- 50 cd/m²
- 51 cd/m²
- 52 cd/m²
- 53 cd/m²
- 54 cd/m²
- 55 cd/m²
- 56 cd/m²
- 57 cd/m²
- 58 cd/m²
- 59 cd/m²
- 60 cd/m²
- 61 cd/m²
- 62 cd/m²
- 63 cd/m²
- 64 cd/m²
- 65 cd/m²
- 66 cd/m²
- 67 cd/m²
- 68 cd/m²
- 69 cd/m²
- 70 cd/m²
- 71 cd/m²
- 72 cd/m²
- 73 cd/m²
- 74 cd/m²
- 75 cd/m²
- 76 cd/m²
- 77 cd/m²
- 78 cd/m²
- 79 cd/m²
- 80 cd/m²
- 81 cd/m²
- 82 cd/m²
- 83 cd/m²
- 84 cd/m²
- 85 cd/m²
- 86 cd/m²
- 87 cd/m²
- 88 cd/m²
- 89 cd/m²
- 90 cd/m²
- 91 cd/m²
- 92 cd/m²
- 93 cd/m²
- 94 cd/m²
- 95 cd/m²
- 96 cd/m²
- 97 cd/m²
- 98 cd/m²
- 99 cd/m²
- 100 cd/m²
- 110 cd/m²
- 120 cd/m²
- 130 cd/m²
- 140 cd/m²
- 150 cd/m²
- 160 cd/m²
- 170 cd/m²
- 180 cd/m²
- 190 cd/m²
- 200 cd/m²
- 210 cd/m²
- 220 cd/m²
- 230 cd/m²
- 240 cd/m²
- 250 cd/m²
- 260 cd/m²
- 270 cd/m²
- 280 cd/m²
- 290 cd/m²
- 300 cd/m²
- 310 cd/m²
- 320 cd/m²
- 330 cd/m²
- 340 cd/m²
- 350 cd/m²
- 360 cd/m²
- 370 cd/m²
- 380 cd/m²
- 390 cd/m²
- 400 cd/m²
- 410 cd/m²
- 420 cd/m²
- 430 cd/m²
- 440 cd/m²
- 450 cd/m²
- 460 cd/m²
- 470 cd/m²
- 480 cd/m²
- 490 cd/m²
- 500 cd/m²
- 600 cd/m²
- 700 cd/m²
- 800 cd/m²
- 900 cd/m²
- 1,000 cd/m²
- 1,200 cd/m²
- 1,500 cd/m²
- 2,000 cd/m²
- 2,500 cd/m²
- 3,000 cd/m²
- 4,000 cd/m²
- 5,000 cd/m²
- 10,000 cd/m²
Convert nits to all 6 other units
Units
Convert to nits
Frequently asked questions
What is a nit?
The nit, or candela per square meter (cd/m²), is the unit of luminance: how bright a surface or screen looks from a given direction.
How is the nit defined?
One candela per square meter.
How many foot-lamberts are in a nit?
One nit equals 0.2918635079 foot-lamberts.