Jelly Lights Spacing Guide: 6", 9", or 16"?

What spacing actually changes

Spacing determines how many individually addressable LEDs are packed into each foot of track, which directly affects brightness and color saturation. Tighter spacing means more light sources per foot, so colors appear richer and patterns look smoother, especially at a distance.

Wider spacing means fewer LEDs per foot, which is still effective, particularly for warm white lighting where the goal is a soft, even glow rather than a bold saturated color display.

Neither option is better in an absolute sense. The right choice depends on how you plan to use the lighting and what your budget looks like for the project.

When 6" spacing makes sense

The tightest spacing option produces the most vivid and richly saturated color display, which matters most for homeowners who plan to run bold color scenes regularly, not just for holidays. If color performance is the priority, tighter spacing shows the biggest visual difference.

This option also tends to look best on rooflines that are viewed up close, such as a covered porch or an area near a walkway, where the individual LED spacing itself would be more noticeable with a wider gap.

It is generally the higher cost option per linear foot, since more LEDs are used to cover the same length of track.

When 9" spacing is the practical middle ground

This spacing balances cost and performance for most homes, delivering strong color saturation without the added expense of the tightest option. It is a common recommendation for homeowners who want both good holiday color and a nice everyday warm white look without maximizing the budget on spacing alone.

For a typical roofline viewed from the street or a driveway, the difference between this option and the tightest spacing is less noticeable than it would be up close.

This is often a good default recommendation when a homeowner has not specified a strong preference either way.

When 16" spacing is the right call

Wider spacing is the more budget-conscious option and still performs well for warm white, which is the scene most homeowners run for the majority of the year. If your primary use case is a clean, elegant everyday glow with occasional color for holidays, this spacing can meet that need at a lower cost per foot.

It becomes more noticeable if you plan to run very bold, saturated colors frequently, since the visible gap between LEDs is larger and can be more apparent up close.

For long rooflines viewed primarily from a distance, such as a large home set back from the street, this spacing is often a practical, cost-effective choice.

• 6": most vivid color, best for close viewing and color-focused use
• 9": a practical middle ground for most homes
• 16": most budget-friendly, works well for warm white-focused use
• Consider viewing distance and how often you'll run bold colors
• Spacing can be mixed by section based on visibility and use

Can spacing be mixed across one house

Yes, and this is common on homes with a covered front porch viewed up close alongside a longer roofline viewed mainly from the street. Tighter spacing near the porch and wider spacing along the rest of the house is a reasonable way to balance cost and appearance.

This is something to discuss during your free quote rather than assuming the whole house needs to use the same spacing option.

We can walk your specific roofline and recommend where tighter spacing adds real visible value versus where it would not be noticeable enough to justify the added cost.

Frequently asked questions