Pupil Distance
An accurate pupillary distance (PD) measurement is required in order to make prescription glasses, and you cannot purchase lenses from Eyeglasses.com without an accurate pupil distance. Follow this link, download this form and measure your own pupil distance.
Where To Get It
Eye doctor ophthalmologists and optometrists usually do not measure your pupil distance unless you ask for it. When you get your prescription, ask your eye doctor to measure your pupil distance, and then write it on your prescription. If they will not provide it, you can measure your pupil distance yourself. Then you will be able to get lenses at any store you choose.Once you have your PD, you can upload your photo and use our Virtual Try On (VTO) system. With your PD in place, you will be able to virtually "try on" frames to see if you like their size and shape on your face.
What Is It?
Your pupil distance is the distance in millimeters between your pupils (the centers of your eyes). Your adult pupillary distance measurement never changes, and it averages 60 millimeters (mm) for women, and 64 mm for men. Sometimes your eye doctor will write your pupil distance for each eye (for example 33/34, called a monocular pupil distance). Or, the eye doctor may write the pupillary distance measurement as 67/64. This means that your pupil distance for distance vision (or DPD) is 67, and for near vision (or NPD, for reading eyeglasses or multifocal lenses) is 64. Your near vision pupil distance is almost always 3mm less than your distance vision pupillary distance measurement.
How Is It Measured?
The pupil distance is measured with an instrument called a “pupilometer” that is put up to your face. Any optical store employee can measure your pupil distance with this instrument, it is not required to be measured by an eye doctor. Any optical store will have a pupillometer, so eye doctors assume that you will have your pupillary distance measurement taken in the optical store.
How To Measure Your Own Pupil Distance "PD"
Follow these easy instructions to learn the easist method of How To Measure Your PD. Your Pupillary Distance (PD) is something you can also measure with the help of a friend. However, we strongly recommend that you have an eye care professional measure your pupillary distance with a pupillometer. For strong prescriptions, this is a requirement. For weak prescriptions, and for use in our Try On software, here are some instructions for measuring your own pupillary distance. However, if we make lenses based on a faulty pupillary distance measurement, this voids our guarantee of perfect lenses.
Author of this article:
Mark Agnew
CEO of Eyeglasses.com, which he founded in 1999. For over twenty years, he has educated consumers, improved their vision choices, and reduced costs in eyewear. Mark authored The Eyeglasses Buying Guide, the most comprehensive and best-selling glasses buying guide in the world.
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