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PD / Pupillary Distance

The PD/Pupillary Distance is the distance between your pupils, it ensures the correct centration of your Prescription lenses in front of your eyes.

The most common method used to measure the PD involves a simple millimetre ruler.  Normally the Optician holds the ruler between thumb and forefinger and steadies his hand by placing his remaining three fingers against the patient's head. The Optician then closes his right eye. The patient is instructed to look at the opticians open left eye while the optician lines up the zero mark on the ruler with the edge of the iris in the patients right eye. The optician then closes his left eye and opens his right eye and instructs the patient to look at the open right eye. The PD is then measured at the edge of the Iris in the patients left eye.

 

 

 

You can contact your optician for this measurement or If you wish to send us a spare pair to check your Pupillary Distance please tick the box accordingly, we will record the pupillary distance measurement from these to ensure accurate centration of your lenses. We will post your Spectacles back to you with your completed spectacles.

On average the PD in an adult is usually between 60 and 66 millimeters. (see diagram) however we recommend that you obtain this measurement from your optician or from previous spectacles, alternatively you can measure your pupillary distance (PD) yourself using the instructions above.

If your prescription shows two PDs for example 64/61 this will mean the 64mm will be used for distance use, bifocals or progressive lenses and the 61mm will be used for reading use.
 
If you only have one PD this will probably be your distance PD, you can reduce this by 3mm if you require reading glasses, as your eyes converge to read, however we would suggest confirming this with your optician to be certain.
 
Sometimes your optician may write your PD for each eye, for example 32/33, this is called mono PDs, you just need to add these together to arrive at your binocular PD, you can also add a note in the additional info box when ordering to list your mono PD measurements if you wish, this will be useful if ordering Varifocals/Progressive lenses.

 
PD/Pupillary Distance with Mono PD Ruler

Normally the Optician holds the ruler between thumb and forefinger and steadies his hand by placing his remaining three fingers against the patient's head. The Optician then closes his right eye. The patient is instructed to look at the opticians open left eye while the optician lines up the millimetre mark on the ruler with the centre of the patients right eye (Pupil). The optician then closes his left eye and opens his right eye and instructs the patient to look at the open right eye. The optician lines up the millimetre mark on the ruler with the centre of the patients left eye (Pupil).

Add these two numbers together to obtain your PD/Pupillary Distance, for example if you had RE; 32mm and LE; 33mm you would enter a PD/Pupillary Distance of 65mm, On average the PD in an adult is usually between 60 and 66 millimetres.

You can also add a note in the additional info box when ordering to list your mono PD measurements if you wish, this will be useful if ordering Varifocals/Progressive lenses.

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