Frame Finder
The Fit Cheat Sheet
Everything in Frame Finder, on one page.
Issue #1 · Published Oct 19, 2026
Face shapes are starting points, not laws. Angular frames add structure to round faces; round frames soften square jaws; oval faces can wear nearly anything (but size up — small frames are the classic mistake); heart faces want weight lower on the face, with rimless and bottom-heavy styles balancing a wider forehead. Proportions beat diagrams.
Read your size. The three numbers inside the temple arm — lens width, bridge width, temple length, in millimeters (e.g. 52-18-140) — are your personal spec sheet. Measure the pair you love, keep the numbers in your phone, shop by data.
The bridge carries the weight. Keyhole for narrower noses, saddle for broader ones, adjustable pads for precision and low bridges. Red marks mean too narrow; sliding means too wide.
Temples do the holding. The bend should start at the top of your ear. Light, even skull contact — never pressure. Hour-in headaches trace back here, and an optician can rebend arms in minutes.
Pads or molded? Pads for adjustability and tricky noses; molded acetate for broad, comfortable weight distribution. Marks from pads mean bad adjustment, not bad pads.
Check both clearances. Smile — cheeks shouldn't push the lenses. Blink — lashes shouldn't brush them. Numbers describe the frame; clearances describe the fit.
Try on like you mean it. Mirror at arm's length, photo front and profile, daylight test, then talk, laugh, and look down. Glasses live on a moving face.
Screen finds shape, store confirms fit. Virtual try-on narrows style; digital PD via photo is workable for simple orders, but a professional measurement is the most accurate. Complex fits and progressives belong in-store.
Kids need engineered frames, not shrunken ones: adjusted bridges, flexible hinges, strap options — because the best myopia-control lens only works when it's worn.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic, Pupillary Distance (PD): What It Is & How to Measure; ZEISS, A checklist for buying new eyeglasses.