An optimized light source and a method of manufacturing the same. The light source is made up of an array of individual lighting elements and is optimized for electrical, optical and economic performance, as well as a method for configuring such an array. The a process for selecting individual lighting elements is based on characterizing and sorting individual lighting elements based on performance so that the performance of the overall array is improved by combing individual lighting elements whose individual performance might not otherwise meet the performance of the overall array.