Pupillary Distance (PD)
What is pupillary distance?
Pupillary distance (PD) measures the distance between the pupils. It’s used to help center a prescription lens accurately in your frames so you can see clearly.
If you have gotten glasses from an optical clinic before, they should have this measurement documented. Some optical shops can take this measurement for a fee if you have not purchased glasses from them before.
It is possible to measure your PD at home with a ruler (must have millimeters)
How to measure the PD at home
Grab a ruler and place it on your child’s forehead or bridge of the nose (close to the eye)
Have your child look at your left eye, then palace the 0.00mm end of the rule at the outer edge of the child’s right iris/cornea (colored part of the eye)
3. Keep the ruler still, then have your child look at your right eye (your child’s right eye may move, but do not adjust the placement of the ruler)
4. Where is the inner corner of the left iris/cornea? That is the PD.
In this example, the PD is about 58 mm
5. Repeat a couple of times for an accurate PD and use the average pupillary distance for your final measurement.
Some people prefer to have the child “look far away” and use the center of the pupil to take the measurement
