A printed tenant directory is out of date the day a tenant moves. Digital directory boards fix that, because the list updates from a browser instead of a print shop.
This PinnacleLED guide is for Perth building and facility managers weighing up the switch. It covers what to specify, how to keep the list accurate, and how the install works in an occupied building.
What is a digital directory board?
A digital directory board is a screen in a building foyer that lists tenants, floors and suites, updated through software.
Electronic directory boards come in three broad types:
A digital list of tenant names, floors and suites
A dynamic directory that also shows logos, maps and building notices
An interactive touchscreen or kiosk with search
Each can be wall-mounted or freestanding. Most Perth office buildings need the first or second type, not a kiosk.
Printed or digital directory signage: which suits your building?
Digital suits buildings with regular tenant changes. A printed board can still be the better buy for a small, stable building.
Every move-in, move-out or rebrand on a printed board means a reprint. Someone briefs the printer, approves a proof, and books the install. Until the new strip goes up, visitors get sent to the wrong floor.
| Printed directory | Digital directory board | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Lower | Higher |
| Each tenant change | Reprint, proof and install visit | Update in the CMS |
| Who can update it | A printer or sign installer | Anyone with a CMS login |
| Time to go live | Once the reprint arrives | As soon as the change is saved |
| Other uses | None | Notices, welcomes, after-hours details |
Printed and digital tenant directories compared.
If your building has a handful of long-term tenants, a changeable printed board is cheaper and does the job. The case for digital grows with tenant turnover, tenant numbers and how much the foyer matters at inspections. PinnacleLED supplies the digital option, not printed signs.
Should a directory board be LED or LCD?
LCD suits a standard single-screen directory in a dim lobby. LED suits glass-fronted foyers, custom sizes and combined brand walls.
Plenty of building directories run on commercial LCD screens, and in a controlled interior space that works. Use commercial-grade panels rather than consumer TVs, which aren't built for long daily hours. The trade-offs show up in glass-heavy foyers, or where the directory needs to be bigger than a standard screen.
LED stays readable when daylight floods a glass-fronted foyer
LED panels can be built to fit the wall, with no bezels between sections
LED can carry the directory as one zone of a larger brand wall
LCD can cost less for a single screen out of direct sun
Our comparison of LED and LCD displays works through the trade-offs in more detail. If LCD is the better fit for your foyer, we will say so.
What pixel pitch does a tenant directory need?
A directory is read up close, so it usually needs a finer pixel pitch than a lobby feature wall.
Pixel pitch is the distance in millimetres between the centres of neighbouring LED clusters. The finer the pitch, the closer someone can stand before the image breaks into dots. A common starting point is:
Visitors scanning a tenant list often stand within arm's reach of the board. That puts most close-read directories in fine-pitch LED territory. A screen that only carries a welcome message can use a coarser pitch, because people read it from further away.
In the Southern Cross Care foyer, visitors stand two to four metres from the screen. We specified a 1.5 mm pitch COB LED wall, which removes the visible pixel grid at that range. It was installed and handed over in a single day.
The formula is a starting point, not the answer. Text size, the number of tenants on screen and where visitors stand all change the result. We assess the foyer and test the layout with your real tenant list before recommending a pitch.
Where does an LED poster fit in an office foyer?
An LED poster suits the welcome screen near the entrance, not the close-read tenant list.
Our LED posters come in 55, 70, 80 and 90 inch sizes, at a 3.9 mm pixel pitch. They can hang or stand on the floor, and floor-standing options suit lobbies and corporate receptions. At up to 3,000 nits, they stay readable beside sunlit glass.
Many buildings pair the two. A fine-pitch board carries the tenant list beside the lifts. A poster near the doors carries welcomes and building notices.
How bright does a directory board need to be in a Perth foyer?
Bright enough to beat the daylight at the exact spot it is mounted, which varies a lot between Perth foyers.
Many Perth office towers have large areas of glazing, so foyers fill with daylight for much of the day. A glass-fronted, north-facing foyer needs far more brightness than an interior wall by the lift core. A directory in an exposed or semi-outdoor entry needs an outdoor-rated display.
We measure the light where the board will go before specifying brightness. Auto-dimming then lowers output as daylight fades, so the board is not glaring in an empty foyer at night.
How should the tenant list be laid out?
Lay it out so a visitor finds a name in seconds, without waiting for the screen to change.
Layout decides how much screen the directory needs, so settle it before the hardware. Most directories sort tenants alphabetically, by floor, or both. Alphabetical suits visitors who know the company name, while floor order suits couriers and contractors.
Keep the full list on one view where possible
Avoid slow scrolling lists, which make visitors wait for their name
Use logos only where tenants supply clean, high-resolution files
Leave room for growth if the building is still leasing up
If the list will not fit one view, a larger board or a second screen usually works better than paging. Ask for a full-size mock-up with your real tenant list before the size is signed off.
How do you make the directory easy for everyone to read?
Use strong contrast, text sized for the viewing distance, and a mounting height that works for seated visitors.
Plain light text on a dark background, or the reverse, reads more easily than branded colour combinations. The WCAG contrast guidance is a useful benchmark for text and background colours.
Mount the board so the tenant list sits in view of someone in a wheelchair, not just standing visitors. Check the height against your building's access requirements. If the directory uses touch, keep a non-touch fallback, such as a clear note to ask at reception.
How do you keep the directory accurate when tenants move?
Agree who requests changes and who approves them, then check the board against the tenancy schedule every month.
A digital board is only as current as the process behind it. Without one, it drifts out of date just like print. Set out the change process at handover:
Who requests a change, such as the leasing agent or tenant
Who approves it, usually the building or facility manager
How fast it goes live once approved
A monthly check of the board against the tenancy schedule
Our content strategy and CMS service sets up the platform with a login for each role. Changes can be scheduled ahead of a known move-in date, and the board can switch to after-hours details overnight.
What does installation look like in an occupied building?
It is planned around the building's tenants and approvals, so the foyer stays open while the work happens.
A foyer cannot close for the day, so the install is sequenced around tenant hours and building access. Most of the planning happens before anyone arrives on site.
Power, data and mounting
Before quoting, we check the points that cause delays once work starts:
Building owner or strata consent for a fixed display
Wall structure and fixing points for the mount
Power at the wall, and network or 4G for updates
Cable routes and heritage limits in older CBD buildings
A floor-standing poster avoids most of that, because it runs off a single power cable. We confirm the timeline in writing at quote stage.
Handover, training and support
At handover, the building team gets its CMS logins and training on how to update the list. Building notices are useful, but a directory board does not replace required exit signs. Exit signage and emergency lighting are covered by the National Construction Code.
Digital directory boards: common questions
How much does a digital directory board cost?
It depends on screen type and size, the number of screens, mounting, the CMS licence, and install and data work. LED posters start from $13,000 + GST for a single poster, installed in the Perth metro area. A fine-pitch directory is built to the wall, so we quote it after a site visit.
How many tenants can one screen show?
It depends on screen size, pixel pitch, text size and how close visitors stand. A board read from a metre away fits more names than one read across the foyer. A full-size mock-up with your tenant list is the reliable way to check before you buy.
How quickly can a tenant listing be changed?
As soon as someone with CMS access makes the change. With no reprint or install visit, the board can match the register on the day a lease starts or ends. Changes can also be scheduled ahead of a known move date.
Do I need a touchscreen directory?
Not usually, because a list read at a glance suits most office foyers and keeps the build simpler. Touch suits large sites with many tenants, or campuses that need a searchable map. If you use touch, keep a non-touch fallback.
Can a digital directory show more than tenant names?
Yes, notices, visitor welcomes, logos and after-hours details can run on a schedule alongside the tenant list. It adds to the building's required exit signs and emergency lighting. It does not replace them.
Who looks after it if the screen fails?
Our Perth team supports the directory after handover. Our ongoing support service covers proactive maintenance, system checks and on-demand support, with one local contact for the building team.
Request an engineering review
A digital directory board is a small project with a big effect on how a building presents. Getting the pitch, brightness and placement right for your foyer is what makes it work.
PinnacleLED designs, supplies and installs digital directory boards for Perth office buildings. Every job follows the same engineering standards applied across the Amped Digital national network.
Request an engineering review. Send us your foyer photos and tenant list. We'll assess the space and recommend a directory specification, not a sales pitch.
