3mm Flat Top Wide Angle UV / Purple LED - Ultra Bright

The 3mm UV Purple LED (Flat Top) delivers a wide viewing angle for even illumination from off-axis positions — the right choice when you need instrument panel backlighting, guitar pedal indicators, and arcade button illumination.

The flat lens surface spreads light at a wide 105-115 Degrees viewing angle — 4 to 5 times wider than a standard round-top LED. Bright and visible from off-axis angles while still maintaining clear color definition through the transparent lens.

Why flat top instead of round top?

A standard round-top 3mm LED has a 15–30 degree beam — bright when viewed straight on, but nearly invisible from the side. The flat top (sometimes called a flat head LED or square LED due to its flat lens face) spreads that light wide, making the LED clearly visible whether you are looking down from a standing position, viewing a panel from across a room, or backlighting a translucent surface that needs even coverage with no hotspots.

Common applications

• Automotive gauge cluster backlighting: blacklight accent, UV-reactive material activation. The wide beam eliminates the bright-center/dark-edges problem that round-top LEDs cause behind gauge faces. Drop-in for GM Silverado/Sierra, Honda Civic, Jeep Wrangler TJ, Ford Mustang, and Toyota/Lexus clusters.
• Guitar pedal status indicators: UV/purple creates a distinctive blacklight effect and activates fluorescent materials. The flat top is the standard choice on DIYStompboxes, r/diypedals, and The Gear Page. Visible from a standing position looking down at your pedalboard — a narrow round-top would appear dim from that angle.
• Arcade pushbutton illumination: Lights up the entire translucent button cap (Sanwa, Seimitsu, Happ/IL) with even color instead of a single bright dot. Also used for marquee backlighting in BYOAC cabinet builds.
• Model railroad building interiors: UV moonlight effects and fluorescent paint activation in diorama scenes. The wide angle fills HO and N scale structure interiors with realistic lighting instead of a spotlight effect.
• Panel indicators and control boxes: Fits standard 3mm LED holders and panel bezels. The wide angle means the indicator is readable from anywhere in front of the panel, not just dead center.
• Breadboard prototyping: The flat top sits stable in a breadboard hole without rocking, and the wide beam is visible from normal desk-level viewing angles.

3mm flat tops are preferred for smaller guitar pedal enclosures (1590A/1590B), N scale model railroad structures, and compact panel indicators.

Standard T-1 through-hole footprint. Fits all 3mm LED holders, bezels, and panel-mount clips.

Sold individually (1 LED per quantity ordered).