Lamp Guide: HID Posted on February 17, 2017 by Brandy McNeil High Intensity Discharge Base Type (Not Actual Size) High Intensity Discharge Bulb Shapes (Not Actual Size) The size and shape of a bulb is designated by a letter or letters followed by a number. The letter indicates the shape of the bulb while the number indicates the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch. For example “T-7” indicates a tubular shaped bulb having a diameter of 2 1/8 inches. The following illustrations show some of the more popular bulb shapes and sizes.