Adafruit RGB Full Color Backlight Display - 84mm x 45mm

These plastic diffused backlights are standout elements often found behind LCD displays, now available as RGB LED variants. Each LED is encased in a 3.3mm thick strip of acrylic, known for its exceptional light diffusion capabilities, offering near-uniform lighting despite having just a single LED.

The strip's design includes a reflector on the flat side to maximize brightness, ensuring all light is emitted from the top. This clever design avoids unnecessary loss of half the brightness. The longest pin of the LED acts as the anode, easily connectable to 3~5VDC, with red, green, and blue pins managed via resistors to ground.

Ideal for creative projects, you can alter the appearance by masking with vinyl or drawing over with a marker. These backlights require a resistor in series, much like any LED setup, to regulate the maximum current draw of 20mA per color pin. Additionally, their brightness and low battery consumption make them superior to EL, albeit without flexibility. The lit area measures 1.7" by 3.3" (45mm x 84mm), perfect for diverse applications such as wearables.