Understanding your prescription
Your prescription may be given in box form with headed columns, or as figures written freehand. The most common box types are laid out as follows:
Example 1:
| R | Sph. | Cyl. | Axis | Prism | Base | Sph. | Cyl. | Axis | Prism | Base | L | |
I G |
+1.25 | +0.50 | 20 | Distance |
-0.50 | +0.50 | 180 | 1 | Dn | E F |
||
H T |
+3.25 | +0.50 | 20 | Near | +1.50 | +0.50 | 180 | 1 | Dn | T |
Example 2:
| R | Sph. | Cyl. | Axis | Prism | Base | Sph. | Cyl. | Axis | Prism | Base | L | |
I G |
+1.25 | +0.50 | 20 | Distance |
-0.50 | +0.50 | 180 | 1 | Dn | E F |
||
H T |
Add | +2.00 | Near | Add | +2.00 | T |
Example 3:
| R | Sph. | Cyl. | Axis | Prism | Base | Sph. | Cyl. | Axis | Prism | Base | L | |
I G |
+1.75 | -0.50 | 110 | Distance |
Plano | -0.50 | 90 | 1 | Dn | E F |
||
H T |
+3.75 | -0.50 | 110 | Near | +2.00 | -0.50 | 90 | 1 | Dn | T |
Your prescription could be written out several ways, and the 3 examples above show 3 ways of writing out the same prescription.
If you only require spectacles for longer distances, you may follow any of the 3 examples using the entries along the horizontal line labelled 'Distance' on your prescription, making sure that you have included the correct '+' or '-' signs.
If you only require spectacles for reading, you may follow the samples 1 and 3 using the entries along the horizontal line labelled 'Near' on your prescription, making sure that you have included the correct '+' or '-' signs.
If you only require spectacles for reading, and your prescription is written out as the example 2, you will need to provide us with the entries on your prescription in both the horizontal lines labelled 'Distance' and 'Near', making sure that you have included the correct '+' or '-' signs.
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Your prescription may not have been given in tabular form as above, but typed, or hand-written on practice stationery:
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The guide shows you which are the Sph., Cyl., Axis, Prism, Base, and Add values you must enter in your order. Don't worry if any values are missing, just leave the entry blank, or in its default value.
If you are still uncertain about your prescription, please contact us, preferably by email with a scanned copy of your prescription.
PLEASE NOTE: If your prescription contains a prism value, your order cannot be accepted through this site at the moment. Please email us for instructions.