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Celebrating Eyewear’s Digital Decade

The digitization of eyewear has been gathering momentum since the start of the millennium. That’s when the first digitally designed and manufactured progressive lenses were introduced. For roughly the past 10 years—let’s call it The Digital Decade—eyeglass wearers have been enjoying the benefits of these high performance lenses, which deliver sharper vision and expanded fields of view.

However, digital eyewear, broadly defined, is more than just lenses. It can also include free-form surfacing, which is the technology used to shape the concave surfaces of digitally designed lenses. And it can include the refraction process, the dispensing process, the lens finishing process and even frames, all of which utilize digital data and computer numerically controlled design and processing technologies.

Click to view the digital edition of Dynamically Digital Eyewear

In a single decade, digital technologies have transformed the optical industry by elevating the personalization of eyewear to new heights.

Thanks to digital technology, refractions can be performed with greater precision. The exact position that a person wears a particular frame can be measured, and those measurements can be incorporated into their prescription.

Lenses can be designed and produced based on a person’s viewing habits and visual requirements, and lenses can be cut to fit precisely into the frame, and the finished eyewear can be fit exactly on the wearer’s face.

Optical store and eyecare practices can connect with patients via web sites, social media and mobile devices. Patients can shop online for eyewear and then send photos of the eyewear to their friends.

To help you better understand the broad impact of digital eyewear, 20/20 Vision Monday and Frames Data has created this special editorial supplement. Each section delves into a different aspect of digital eyewear and explains how it can help you grow your business or practice.

So let’s celebrate The Digital Decade by offering patients and customers Dynamically Digital Eyewear that gives them the best possible vision, service and products.

akarp@jobson.com