A digitally controlled LED illuminator sheet that produces far-field illumination patterns or light field distributions that increase light utilization and application efficiency. A dynamic directional LEDs (or other kinds of solid-state light sources) sheet is positioned under each lenslet of a microlens array. Individual LED beam pointing direction depends on off-axis position relative to optical axis of lenslet. Individual beams from independent LEDs form illumination pixels at the illumination plane or within a volume space and can be modulated in intensity. Illumination pixels partially overlap in far-field illumination plane and illumination volume. Over a large illumination space many illumination pixels will partially superimposed on neighboring illumination pixels, with the overlap being in increments smaller than the size of a pixel. The LEDs can be digitally turned on or off and/or pulse width or amplitude modulated to produce far-field illumination patterns or light field distributions with spectral efficiency and efficacious intensity.