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Enter your prescription in below. Virtually all prescriptions will only need the fields in the 'simple' prescription form. However sometimes you may be given different prescription lines for near/intermediate and distance. In this case you can use the 'complex' form. All prescriptions will be checked by one of our opticians to verify for any errors.
Axis
The axis value is the angle of the astigmatism correction.
If you have a cylinder reading on your prescription then you should have an axis reading.
It will be a number between 0-180.
If you have a numerical value for 'cyl' then you MUST have a value in this box. These prescriptions have an axis value of 40 and 90
Not all prescriptions have cyl/axis values. And you may have it only in one eye.
If it has DS written then you don't need an axis value
Near addition (ADD)
The addition value is the amount to add to the sphere value for reading or intermediate glasses and sometimes for computer work..
Please make sure you write the correct Addition (ADD) depending on whether you have requested Reading or Intermediate (for VDU use) glasses.
If you have requested bifocal glasses please make sure you enter your ADD measurement as a separate reading in this box.
Opticians write this all over the prescription, sometimes once (same for both eyes) sometimes once for each eye.
This person has an Add of +2.75, which should be put in for both eyes
This person has an Add of +2.00, which should be put in for both eyes
All about pupillary distance
In order for a pair of glasses to perform optimally, the frames need to be made to match the distance between the customer's eyes so that the center of each lens is aligned with the center of the customer's pupils. To achieve this we need your "pupillary distance measurement" or "PD measurement", i.e. the distance between the pupils of your eyes. Unfortunately, many prescriptions given by high street opticians do not include a PD measurement. This omission is often made intentionally to try to ensure that you will purchase your glasses from that high street optician rather than getting better value glasses from Glasses Direct.
We suggest that you either ask your optician for your pupillary distance measurement or if you would prefer not to, we can make your glasses using an average pupillary distance measurement based on a survey carried out on 4,000 people.
Whilst using an average pupillary distance measurement works very well for most customers, certain customers who have strong prescriptions and whose pupillary distance diverges significantly from the average, may experience problems with spectacles made using an average PD measurement. The spectacles will not damage or harm the eyes but they can cause discomfort or eye strain.
If you decide to use an average pupillary distance measurement and then find that you do experience difficulties using your glasses, please contact us and we will either arrange for your pupillary distance to be measured and then replace your glasses, or give you a full refund.
Understanding your prescription
Below are examples of prescriptions. The first set are standard prescriptions. Look through these to get a feel. Typed prescriptions are generally quite easy to understand, it's mostly handwritten ones that cause problems. Doctors and opticians seem to go to the same handwriting school.
Afterwards are more unusual cases you may encounter, with instructions for what to do.
Skip straight to the more unusual items
Common layouts of prescriptions:
This is a standard NHS prescription:
It would be written as follows:
Dolland & Aitchinson:
- This time the signs have been written ABOVE the numbers - they are still just standard +/- signs
- Also, they optician has written 125 instead of 1.25. It should still be entered as '1.25' with a decimal point
- There is only one value for Near ADD, this should be entered for both eyes
It would be written as follows:
Specsavers:
It would be written as follows:
Vision express
- Here the additions are placed away from the rest of the prescription
It would be written as follows:
More unusual figures
Sometimes figures like this appear on your prescription. These are not needed to make your lenses.
Some prescriptions have this figure, which looks like a sideways 8. This means 'infinity'. And you should select 'infinity' from the list.
This prescription also has some figures scrawled underneath these are Additions for both intermediate and near distances. Even though it's a single figure, it applies to both eyes.
This would be written like this:
NOTE: Use the "My prescription is more complex than this..." link to show you this more advanced prescription area
Sometimes opticians write 'DS' in the CYL column. This simply means there is no astigmatism, and you can enter either nothing (leave the field blank) or select the phrase DS in the drop down.
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