Our Lab | Designer Optics

At Designer Optics, we cut and edge all of the lenses for our frames in our state-of-the-art, cutting edge lab. Whether you’re getting a set of prescription lenses or sunglasses, or a pair of tinted lenses, we handle everything in-house, to ensure that you get the best quality and the best service.

Interested in learning more about our facility? Take a sneak peek inside our lab, and see the technology and tools that we use to provide you with the best glasses and sunglasses on the market. Let’s get started!

Three Edgers For Top-Quality Cutting

Edging, also known as cutting, is the process by which lenses are cut for the frame of your glasses. We use three total edgers to edge and cut the lenses for our frames. Here's a quick peek at each one.

  • Briot eMotion Edging System

    Briot eMotion Edging System

    The Briot eMotion Edging System is an all-in-one finishing lab, with a specialized space-saving design. It can be used for edging, drilling holes for frames, grooving, bevels, and polishing.

    Using 3D mapping technology and a multi-axis tracing system, it can edge and cut polycarbonate, Trivex lenses, CR-39, high-index, and glass lenses. It’s powerful, versatile, and one of the most commonly-used tools in our optical lab.

  • Briot Attitude Edging System

    Briot Attitude Edging System

    The Briot Attitude is designed specifically for unparalleled accuracy and speed. It’s ideal for lens patterns that are relatively simple and do not require complex cutting, polishing, and drilling. With a highly accurate Gravitech® tracer and shape reproduction system, it provides precise results quickly and efficiently – allowing us to deliver your order more quickly.

  • Essilor Edger

    Essilor Edger

    The Essilor Edger system is a simplified, digital edger that can handle every type of lens material, premium coating, and lens thicknesses, down to just 18mm. It’s simple to operate, and also includes a grooving and chamfering system to provide a high-quality safety bevel all around the lens.

Two Tinting Machines For Clean, Perfect Results

If you're getting tinted glasses from Designer Optics, you're sure to be happy with the results. We use two different Phantom tinting machines for consistent, clean, and perfectly tinted lenses.

  • Phantom® Heating System Model 9V

    Phantom® Heating System Model 9V

    This machine by Phantom uses nine quart-sized “vats”, built out of stainless steel. It's designed to hold up to 18 “mini vats”, and to optimally heat lens tinting solutions and other such materials, using a 1600 watt heating element. This machine allows us to tightly control the heat of our tinting fluids, ensuring the perfect result when they are applied to your lenses.

  • Phantom® Automatic Lens Tinting Machine Model 85

    Phantom® Automatic Lens Tinting Machine Model 85

    Complementing the above heating System is the Automatic Lens Tinting Machine. This machine is a stand-alone unit that produces smooth, gradient tints with no lines or other cosmetic imperfections.

    Using a 20-minute timer and an automatic, computer-controlled tinting system, this machine uses a mechanical motor to agitate the dye solution, and can hold up to four pairs of lenses (eight lenses total) at once.

    Together, these two Phantom products allow us to provide consistent lens tints. From light tints designed for everyday wear, to nearly-opaque tints for sunglasses, we can do it all – and provide you with incredible end results.

Two Lensmeters For Unparalleled, Accurate Measurements

Without the right strength and thickness, your lenses will not meet your expectations. That's why we have both an automatic and manual lensmeter, which helps us ensure the right lens power.

  • GL-8800-UP/7000 Auto Lensmeter

    GL-8800-UP/7000 Auto Lensmeter

    We also use a manual lensmeter from Marco for some of our lenses. Manual lensmeters are often used to measure oversized lenses – and this unit can handle conventional lenses that range from 30-9mm in diameter. With other features like 90 degree vertical inclination, and a prism compensator along with LED illumination, this lensmeter provides truly precise measurements when used by our specialist lens designer and opticians.

  • Marco LM-101 Manual Lensmeter

    Marco LM-101 Manual Lensmeter

    We also use a manual lensmeter from Marco for some of our lenses. Manual lensmeters are often used to measure oversized lenses – and this unit can handle conventional lenses that range from 30-9mm in diameter. With other features like 90 degree vertical inclination, and a prism compensator along with LED illumination, this lensmeter provides truly precise measurements when used by our specialist lens designer and opticians.

Hand Lens Groovers For A Stellar Finish

For most glasses that do not have a “frameless” design, grooves are created on the sides of your lenses, so that they can fit into your frames properly. Lens groovers are a special type of machine used to finish your lenses, and prepare them for placement in your glasses.

While our other machines usually take care of grooving, we may also choose to do some manual hand grooving. We typically will do this if the fit and finish of the groove is not perfect – for example, if it’s not deep enough, or the automatic lens grinder has left burrs or other imperfections on the side of the lens.

Finally, after we’ve finished grooving your lens, your order is complete. We will clean, polish and finish the lenses, and pop them into your frames to ensure everything fits perfectly. They’ll be tested one more time with one of our lensmeters – and then, if everything checks out, they’ll be sent directly to you.

Order Now

Get The Best Service From Our Cutting-Edge Lab

What are you waiting for?

At Designer Optics, we use all of the latest optical tools to cut, tint, and finish your lenses perfectly. You'll get stellar results - guaranteed.

Start your order today, and let us take care of every step of the process at our advanced, in-house optical lab. When you order from Designer Optics, you'll get the latest frames at the best prices, and high-quality lenses that are sure to last for years to come.