There are four common LED types.

The first and most common is the 'Pinned LED'. Most popular being 5mm round types. They are constructed from a metal leadframe onto which the light emitting die is placed a body is then moulded around the leadframe forming the completed LED.There are many variations to choose from for example Diffused which gives a wide angle of light or waterclear which gives a more directional beam. They are good general purpose LED’s suitable for a wide range of applications, easy to use and simple to assemble.

The second type is the 'Surface Mount LED'. These generally have the smallest body a die chip can be mounted into. They need to be fitted onto a PCB which can either be rigid or flexible. They offer wide view angles of light and are ideal where space is at a premium.

The third is the 'Power LED' these are high light output LEDs. They will be mounted on some form of heat conductive material which is needed to draw heat away from the LED die. These are the brightest LED’s manufactured and use large die chips or multiple chips placed in a tight cluster to achieve the brightness.

The fourth type called 'C.O.B (Chip on Board)' uses the LED die bonded directly to a PCB or substrate. It eliminates the need for an LED body or leadframe to soldered to. It is very low cost in high volume applications and allows very small and intricate layouts to be produced.