DOOH creative specs are the technical rules a screen sets for your ad: its shape, its size in pixels, how long it can play, which file types it accepts, and whether it plays sound. Get them right and the ad fills the screen cleanly. Get them wrong and the screen crops your logo, stretches your product, or rejects the file.
The good news is that the rules are simpler than they look. Most of it comes down to one idea, the shape of the screen, and a few questions to ask before you upload. This guide explains each spec in plain English, shows the common shapes side by side, and ends with a checklist.
DOOH means digital out of home advertising: ads on screens outside the home, like sidewalk panels, bus shelters, digital billboards, and TVs inside bars, gyms, and stores. The full list of formats is in types of DOOH advertising. This post is about the file you send to those screens.
The specs that matter
There are six. Every screen network sets its own version of each, so treat the numbers here as examples, not rules.
- Aspect ratio. The shape of the screen.
- Resolution. The size of the screen in pixels.
- Length. How many seconds your ad holds the screen.
- File type. The kind of file the screen can play.
- Sound. Whether audio plays at all.
- Safe zone. The area near the edges to keep clear.
Aspect ratio: the shape of the screen
An aspect ratio is the width of a screen compared with its height. It is written as two numbers. 16:9 means 16 units wide for every 9 units tall. That is the shape of a normal TV.
The ratio matters more than any other spec. If your video is one shape and the screen is another, something has to give. The screen either crops the edges, adds black bars, or stretches the picture. All three look bad.
There are four shapes you will meet most often:
- Landscape (16:9). Wider than tall. This is the shape of most TVs, including the TVs in bars, gyms, cafes, and waiting rooms.
- Portrait (9:16). Taller than wide. The same shape as a phone held upright. Many street kiosks and mall screens are this shape.
- Square (1:1). Equal width and height. Some sidewalk and street screens play square creative.
- Extra wide. Roadside digital billboards are often much wider than they are tall. The exact shape is set by the board owner, so always ask.
Common screen shapes compared
| Shape | Ratio | Example pixel size | Where you usually see it | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape | 16:9 | 1920 x 1080 | TVs in bars, gyms, stores, waiting rooms | Room for a headline and an image side by side |
| Portrait | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | Street kiosks, mall and lobby screens | Stack the message top to bottom |
| Square | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 | Some sidewalk and street panels | Less width, so fewer words |
| Extra wide | Varies by board | Set by the owner | Roadside digital billboards | Short line, big type, little else |
The example pixel sizes are just one common way to hit each ratio. A screen can have the same shape at a different size. Your network's spec sheet is the final word.
Resolution: the size in pixels
Resolution is how many tiny dots, called pixels, a screen has across and down. 1920 x 1080 means 1,920 pixels wide and 1,080 pixels tall.
Two rules keep it simple:
- Match the shape first, then the size. A file with the right shape can usually be scaled up or down cleanly. A file with the wrong shape cannot.
- Never send smaller than asked. A small file blown up to fill a big screen looks blurry. Bigger is fine. Smaller is not.
Length: how long the ad holds the screen
Most DOOH screens play a loop. A loop is a list of ads that play one after another and then repeat. Your ad gets one slot in that loop, a set number of seconds. The network decides how long that slot is.
What that means for you:
- Make the point in the first second or two. People glance at screens. Some will only see the start.
- Fit the slot exactly. If the slot is shorter than your video, the end gets cut off. If it is longer, the screen may hold your last frame or fill the gap.
- A still image is a valid ad. Many roadside boards limit motion, often because of local road rules. A strong still frame works everywhere.
TVs inside venues often play longer slots than roadside boards, because people sit and watch. A gym or a bar is closer to a living room than a highway. That setting is covered in in-venue TV advertising.
File type and file size
Screens are picky about files. Most networks accept a common image file, such as a JPG or PNG, for a still ad, and a common video file, such as an MP4, for motion. Many also set a maximum file size. Check both before you export.
If you edit video on a phone or in a free app, the default export is usually fine. If the screen rejects it, the fix is almost always the shape, the size, or the file being too big.
Sound: plan for silence
Most outdoor screens are silent. Many indoor screens are too, or the room is loud enough that no one hears them. Plan as if the sound is off.
- Put the message in words and pictures, not in a voiceover.
- If someone speaks on camera, add captions.
- Never save the key fact for the audio.
Streaming TV at home is the exception. Those ads usually play with sound. That is one reason one video needs small changes for each place it runs. The steps are in how to make a video ad for every screen.
Safe zone: keep the edges clear
A safe zone is the area inside the edges of the frame where nothing important should sit. Screens sometimes crop a little at the edges. Frames, bezels, and glare can hide them too.
Keep your logo, your headline, and any address or code well inside the frame. Let the edges hold background only. If something must be read, it does not go near the border.
One video, many shapes
Here is the hard part. A landscape video does not fit a portrait screen. A portrait video looks small on a wide TV. Making a separate version for every shape takes time most small businesses do not have.
The practical approach:
- Shoot or pick footage with the subject in the center. A product, a face, or a plate in the middle survives almost any crop.
- Keep text away from the sides. When a wide video becomes a square or a tall one, the sides are what get cut.
- Put the brand in the middle third. That part of the frame shows up in every shape.
- Check each version before it runs. Look at the landscape, the square, and the portrait. Read the words from across the room.
On Glo OOH at we-are-glo.com, that formatting step is done for you. You bring one video, and Glo shapes it for each screen: wide for TVs in venues and square for sidewalk screens, with the same offer in the shape each screen can play. If you do not have a video yet, Glo Studio makes one for you in about 20 seconds.
Glo is self-serve advertising for every screen, screens first. You pick an area, from a block to a city, and see the screens in that area before you spend. Plans start at $17/day on Glo pricing, with no contract. You are charged only on days the ad runs, and you can pause anytime. TV at home is an add-on through Glo commercials. The full cross-screen buy is Glo ads.
A spec checklist before you upload
Ask the screen network, or check the platform, for each of these:
- Shape. Which aspect ratio, or ratios, does the screen play?
- Pixel size. What width and height should the file be?
- Slot length. How many seconds does each ad get?
- Motion. Is video allowed, or only still images?
- File type and size. Which files are accepted, and how big can they be?
- Sound. Does audio play at all?
- Approval time. How long before the ad can go live after upload?
Then check the creative itself. One idea. A short line. The brand visible at once. High contrast. A clear action, like an address or a short name to search. The longer list of creative rules is in what makes a great DOOH ad, and the roadside version is in the digital billboard advertising guide.
Questions people ask
What aspect ratio do DOOH screens use?
It depends on the screen. TVs inside venues are usually landscape, 16:9. Street kiosks and lobby screens are often portrait, 9:16. Some sidewalk screens play square creative, and roadside billboards are often extra wide. Always check the spec for the screens you are buying.
What resolution should a DOOH ad be?
Use the exact pixel size the screen network asks for. If you only know the shape, 1920 x 1080 is a common size for landscape and 1080 x 1920 for portrait. Never send a file smaller than requested, because it will look blurry when it is stretched.
How long should a DOOH ad be?
As long as the slot the network gives you, and no longer. Many screens play short slots in a loop, so the main message should land in the first one or two seconds. A strong still image works on screens that limit motion.
Do DOOH ads have sound?
Most do not. Outdoor screens are usually silent, and many indoor screens are muted or drowned out by the room. Put the message in words and pictures, and add captions if someone speaks.
Can I use one video for every screen?
Yes, if it is built to be cropped. Keep the subject and the text near the center, and keep the edges clear. Some platforms, including Glo, reshape one upload into the shapes each screen plays, so you do not have to edit a version for every screen.
What is a safe zone in a screen ad?
It is the area inside the edges of the frame where important things should sit. Screens can crop or hide the edges, so logos, headlines, and addresses go well inside the frame.