Frequently Asked Questions

To order Smith prescription glasses, you will need your current lens prescription including your PD measurement (pupillary distance).  Then, ordering is easy. Just choose your sunglass frame, select your lens options, and select "Add your prescription." Enter your prescription details in the Rx Wizard, then add to cart and checkout.

Trying to read a lens prescription can be confusing and you need to get the formula right so we can make the best pair of glasses for you. On your script you will have a sphere (to indicate the strength of the lens you need), a cylinder (which indicates the lens power needed to correct astigmatism), and an  axis (which indicates where to place the lens correction for astigmatism), among a few other details.

Single Vision

The most common prescription format is in the way of a grid with clearly printed fields for OD, OS, SPH, CYL, etc.; values are usually entered with computer, but may be handwritten by doctor.

Sphere (SPH) and Cylinder (CYL) always have a (+) or (-) sign.

On any prescription, PD can be written in different ways: e.g., 62 (Single PD), 33/31 (Dual PD), or 62/60 (Distance PD/Near PD).

Progressive

For multi-focal glasses, as well as reading and computer glasses, your Rx will include an ADD or NV value. This number always has a (+) sign.

The type of Rx glasses may be noted on a prescription, such as DV [Distance Vision/nearsightedness] and NV [Near Vision/reading].

Check out the following glossary for even more details on what the numbers in your eyeglasses prescription mean:

1. OD (Oculus Dexter), OS (Oculus Sinister)
OD and OS are key to reading any eyeglasses prescription, regardless of the correction type. Sometimes appearing as O.D. and O.S., they are Latin abbreviations for right eye (OD) and left eye (OS). Some doctors may use OU to reference both eyes. And sometimes you will see RE and LE for right eye and left eye respectively.

2. SPH (Sphere)
Measured in diopters, the SPH number refers to the lens power necessary for each eye. A minus (-) is used to correct nearsightedness. A plus (+) sign next to the number refers to farsightedness correction.

3. CYL (Cylinder)
CYL is the lens power (also called diopter) used to correct astigmatism. If you have no astigmatism or very slight one, this column will be blank. As with Sphere, a minus indicates lens power for nearsighted astigmatism, a plus indicates farsighted astigmatism.

4. Ax (Axis)
Like CYL, Ax only applies to astigmatism prescriptions. The Ax number refers to angle degrees (1 to 180). If your prescription includes Cylinder lens power, it must include Axis as well.

5. ADD
Only used for multifocal (progressive/bifocal) lenses, ADD refers to the added magnifying power applied to the bottom of the lens in multifocal lenses. PAL is used in some cases by doctors when the addition for progressive lenses is different compared to bifocals.

6. Prism
Prism is used to correct double vision or vision displacement. The Prism value refers to the number of
diopters applied to compensate for image alignment issues. We are not able to accommodate eyeglasses prescriptions that need Prism.

7. PD (Pupillary Distance)

Pupillary distance measures the distance between your pupils. If it's not included in your prescription, you can easily measure it yourself. It's important to measure from the center of one pupil to the center of the other. PD is measured in mm and can be one number like 64 or two numbers like 31/33. The first number in a twonumber PD is the Right or OD. Getting the two-number PD is always the best choice when creating custom made eyewear as it centers each Rx in front of each eye, versus the less accurate method of dividing the single number by two.Pupillary distance measures the distance between your pupils. If it's not included in your prescription, you can visit AccuPD a free tool that measures your PD.

Pupillary distance measures the distance between your pupils. If it's not included in your prescription, you can visit AccuPD a free tool that measures your PD.

PD is measured in mm and can be one number like 64 or two numbers like 31/33. The first number in a twonumber PD is the Right or OD. Getting the two-number PD is always the best choice when creating custom made eyewear as it centers each Rx in front of each eye, versus the less accurate method of dividing the single number by two.

Once you've placed your prescription order, it can take up to 14 days to receive. Upon completion and quality inspection, we ship and deliver as quickly as possible. You will receive a shipping confirmation email when your order leaves our lab.

No. All Smith prescription orders must include a valid prescription submitted with the order using the Smith Rx online wizard.

Thanks for choosing Smith. As soon as your order is placed, our lab gets to work and starts making your glasses. As a result, there isn't a delay that allows us time to change orders once they’re submitted.

Please review our Returns policy for more information.

Smith is committed to quality, and we've built our reputation on long-lasting, high-performing products.

All Smith Rx prescription products come with a two-year guarantee from defects in workmanship and
manufacturer materials. This limited warranty is only valid to the original purchaser with a proof of purchase from SmithOpticsAustralia.com. We will replace defective product that meets the above criteria at no charge.

Please be advised that the Smith warranty is for authentic Smith Optics products including authentic Smith lenses, frames, and parts without modification of any sort. Any alteration to lenses, frame parts, or nose pads voids all warranties.

Our Smith Rx return policy is the same as our standard. We want you to be happy with your Smith purchase and accept product returns for full price online orders within 30 days of the purchase date provided products are unused and in the original packaging. 

Sometimes, it takes a few days to adjust to a new prescription. If you are still having issues after a few days, please send us an email through the contact form so we can help troubleshoot the problem.

We recommend that you get an eye exam at your optometrist for the most current prescription possible. If your current prescription is still valid, contact your optometrist for a copy. Be sure to include your PD (pupillary distance) measurement. You can also find stores that carry the SMITH RX range on our store finder. 

No, we are not able create eyeglasses using a contact lens prescription. Contact prescriptions are specific to contacts. We recommend that you get a fresh eye exam before ordering for the most up-to-date prescription possible.

Single-vision lenses offer one correction value throughout the entire lens, typically for distance or close-up.

Progressive lenses offer multiple correction values in one lens, so you can have distance and close-up values in one pair of glasses.

We are not able to accommodate prism correction at this time. Your optometrist may be able to order Fresnel or a press-on prism lens that will work with Smith prescription glasses. Be sure to confirm any third-party add-on before ordering your Smith prescription glasses.

Yes. Our clear lenses and tinted sunglass lenses filter out harmful UV rays.

Each product page includes frame measurement details and an overall size characteristic for the selected frame. Look for frame styles with measurements similar to other glasses that fit you well.

Single-vision lenses offer one correction value throughout the entire lens, typically for distance or close-up.

Progressive lenses offer multiple correction values in one lens, so you can have distance and close-up values in one pair of glasses.