What is my PD (Pupil Distance)

What is my PD (Pupil Distance or Pupillary Distance)?

Pupillary Distance (or PD) is one of the numbers that you will need to enter in your prescription while buying your glasses online. It measures the distance in millimeters (mm) between the centers of your pupils. It is important to have an accurate PD to ensure that you're looking through the correct spot in your lenses and have clear and the most accurate vision at all times. The average PD for adults is between 54mm to 74mm, whereas, the same for kids is between 43mm to 54mm. You can get your PD measured by an eye care professional or can also do it yourself by following the simple steps below:
  1. Get a millimeter ruler and a mirror
  2. Maintain a gap of 8 inches from the mirror
  3. Keep your face straight and place the millimeter ruler against your brow on your forehead
  4. Close your left eye and align the zero of the ruler to the center of your right pupil
  5. While looking straight, close your right eye and open your left eye
  6. The "mm" line that coordinates the center of the right pupil is your PD
You can also take help from a friend to measure your PD. Keep both eyes open and look straight ahead while your friend measures your PD. Have them put the zero on the millimeter ruler over the center of one pupil, then measure the distance to the center of the other pupil. Be sure to follow these tips when a friend is helping you with your PD measurement.
  1. Make sure they crouch/sit while your stand so they are not within your field of vision
  2. Do not move and keep your eyes as still as possible
  3. Do not look at your friend while they measure your PD
  4. Look above their head at something approximately 4 to 6 meters away
We can help with your PD measurement, too! Keep your face straight and place the millimeter ruler against your brow on your forehead. Keep both eyes open and look straight ahead. Take a selfie from your phone in such a way that the millimeter numbers are clearly visible in the photo, then email the photo to support@glassespros.com. Be sure to follow these tips when sending us a photo for PD measurement.
  1. Make sure there's enough lighting in the room so that your pupils are clearly visible
  2. Use the front camera of your phone and keep your eyes as still as possible.
  3. Look straight towards your phone while taking a picture and try not to squint.
  4. Take and send multiple photos in a different light and room setting for us to measure the correct PD.
You can also refer to the complete guide on how to measure your PD here.
    • Related Articles

    • What are the abbreviations on my prescription?

      Here is a list of terms you can use to help better understand your prescription: Rx: The abbreviation for Prescription OD: Latin for Oculus Dexter, meaning the Right Eye. OS: Latin for Oculus Sinister, meaning the Left Eye. OU: Latin for Oculus ...
    • Can you help me with my prescription?

      Your prescription is called an Rx for short and it contains a series of values that an optometrist measures to correct your vision with corrective lenses – either eyeglasses or contact lenses. Your prescription will come as a table with two rows and ...
    • Do you sell Reading Glasses?

      We certainly do and boy are we proud of it! To figure out the Sphere values of your reading glasses, you need to include the Sphere of each eye in your ADD. You will also want to lower your PD by 3 millimeters.