Face Size & PD Measurement

Face Size & Try Frames

Position your face in the camera β€” we'll measure your face and help you find the best fitting frames.

Do you have a prescription?

Upload it now and we'll extract your Pupillary Distance (PD) automatically β€” so face size estimation will be more accurate.

JPG, PNG or PDF — photo of your prescription slip

Don't have a prescription or don't know your PD? We'll estimate it automatically from your iris size during the face scan.

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Face measurements
Frequently Asked Questions for Human Face Ai

How accurate are the AI face measurements?

Our AI captures measurements from 3 averaged frames β€” delivering clinically useful accuracy for eyeframe sizing and PD estimation.


Measurement accuracy at a glance

Face Width

Measured cheek-to-cheek using facial landmark points. Typical error Β±2–3 mm on a 130–155 mm face.

~1.5–2% error
PD (Pupillary Distance)

Estimated from iris centre positions. With your prescription PD as calibration, error drops to Β±0.5–1 mm.

Β±0.5–1.5 mm
Nose Bridge Width

Inner nose landmark span. Consistent across scans; Β±1–2 mm variation depending on lighting and head tilt.

Β±1–2 mm
Ideal Eyeframe Width

Derived from temple-to-temple span using nose landmark as the symmetric centre. Β±2–3 mm expected range.

Β±2–3 mm

Why 3 captures?

Every scan averages 3 auto-captured frames taken 600 ms apart. This smooths out micro head-movements and sub-pixel iris jitter, giving you a stable, reproducible reading every time.

My PD reading varies slightly between scans β€” is that normal?

Yes, a variation of 0.5–1.5 mm between scans is completely normal β€” and here is exactly why it happens and how to work with it.


Why PD varies between readings

  • Iris pixel resolution β€” at typical webcam distance, each iris spans ~60–80 pixels. A 1-pixel error in iris centre detection equals ~0.3–0.5 mm in real space.
  • Head distance drift β€” moving 1–2 cm closer or further changes the mm-per-pixel scale, shifting all distance readings proportionally.
  • Lighting asymmetry β€” uneven light causes one iris to appear slightly larger, shifting the detected centre by a sub-pixel amount.
  • Natural pupil size β€” pupils dilate and constrict with light; the iris outer edge is used (not pupil), but shadows can affect landmark placement.

How to get your most accurate PD

  1. Take 3–4 separate scans in the same session β€” the system auto-averages 3 frames per scan.
  2. Compare the PD values across scans β€” the most-repeated value is your most accurate reading.
  3. If you have a prescription from your optician, enter that PD using the Override PD option β€” it becomes the calibration anchor and improves all other measurements too.
  4. Scan in consistent, even front lighting β€” avoid strong side light or backlighting.

For prescription lens cutting β€” always use the PD measured by your optician. The AI PD is excellent for frame fitting and size recommendations, but optical-grade precision (Β±0.25 mm) requires professional equipment.

Why does the AI take 3 automatic captures instead of just one?

A single frame is not enough for reliable measurements. Our scan pipeline uses a 3-stage averaging system to give you the most stable, reproducible result possible from a standard webcam.


How the 3-capture pipeline works

1

8-frame rolling buffer β€” before any capture, MediaPipe processes 8 consecutive video frames and checks that all 5 alignment gates (face size, yaw angle, nose position, camera distance, no mask) are passing consistently. This ensures your head is truly still, not just still for one frame.

2

3 snapshots at 600 ms intervals β€” once stable for 1.6 seconds, the system captures 3 frames spaced 600 ms apart. Each capture sends the image to our AI server for full landmark analysis and mm conversion.

3

Averaged result β€” all measurement values (face width, PD, nose bridge, etc.) from the 3 captures are averaged together. Outlier frames (e.g. from a tiny blink) are naturally diluted. The final result is statistically more stable than any single capture.

The result: smaller error, better fit

In testing, single-frame PD estimation showed a standard deviation of Β±1.8 mm. With 3-frame averaging under the stable-gate condition, this dropped to Β±0.7 mm β€” a 60% improvement in precision without any additional hardware.

What exactly does the AI measure β€” and what do those numbers mean?

The AI captures 7 distinct measurements from your face β€” each mapped to a real-world use in eyeframe fitting.


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Face Width

Cheek-to-cheek horizontal distance. Used to determine frame size category (S / M / L) and whether a frame will sit flush.

Typical: 125–155 mm
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Face Height

Forehead top to chin bottom. Helps distinguish Oblong from Square or Oval face shapes and informs lens height suitability.

Typical: 175–225 mm
Pupillary Distance (PD)

Centre-to-centre distance between your pupils. Critical for centring prescription lenses in any frame. Most important for lens cutting.

Typical: 56–68 mm
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Inner Eye Distance

The gap between the inner corners of both eyes. Closely matches the bridge width you need in a frame β€” prevents pinching or gaps.

Typical: 25–38 mm
Nose Bridge Width

Measured across the nose at the inner-eye level. Helps match frames with narrow or wide nose bridges to ensure the frame sits evenly.

Typical: 13–22 mm
Ideal Eyeframe Width

Temple-to-temple span from nose centre outward, doubled. This is the total front width of an eyeframe that will sit flush without extending past your face.

Typical: 125–148 mm

Face Shape (7th output)

Using the width-to-height ratio plus forehead and jaw landmark positions, the AI classifies your face as Oval, Round, Square, Heart, Oblong, or Diamond β€” and maps it to the best-fitting frame styles in our catalogue.

How do I get the most accurate scan result?

Accuracy is directly tied to how well you set up the scan. Follow these steps to get measurement-grade results from a standard webcam.


Before you start

  • Remove all eyewear β€” glasses, sunglasses, reading glasses, and goggles. Contact lenses are fine.
  • Remove face coverings β€” masks or anything that covers your lower face will block the nose landmark.
  • Choose even front lighting β€” sit facing a window or bright light, not with it behind you. Avoid strong side shadows.
  • Use a laptop or desktop for the first scan β€” fixed cameras give more stable frames than handheld mobile.

During the scan

  • Keep your head at arm's length (approx. 45–55 cm) from the camera. Too close or too far shifts the mm-per-pixel scale.
  • Align your nose tip to the yellow dot exactly β€” this ensures your face is centred and distance is consistent.
  • Look straight into the lens β€” even a small head turn shifts the face-width reading by 3–5 mm.
  • Hold still for 1.6 seconds until the oval turns green β€” the system auto-captures once your pose is stable.
  • Do not rush β€” if the oval stays amber, adjust your position. Forcing a capture while unstable reduces accuracy.

For the highest PD accuracy

Enter your PD from your optician's prescription using the Override PD field before scanning. This value is used as the real-world calibration anchor β€” it improves not just PD, but all distance measurements by fixing the mm-per-pixel scale to a known reference.

Pro tip: Take 2–3 separate scans and compare readings. The measurement that repeats most consistently across scans is your true face size. Our system automatically uses the most recent completed scan for Virtual Try-On.

What does my face shape result mean β€” and which frames suit me?

Face shape is calculated from the ratio of face width, height, forehead width, and jaw width derived from your MediaPipe landmarks. Here is what each shape means and which frame styles complement it best.


Oval

Balanced proportions β€” slightly wider forehead, gentle chin. The most versatile face shape. Almost all frame styles work well.

Any frame style
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Round

Width and height are nearly equal with soft curves. Angular or rectangular frames add definition and make the face appear longer.

Rectangle / Geometric
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Square

Strong jaw and forehead of similar width. Round or oval frames soften the angles. Avoid boxy frames that echo the face shape.

Round / Oval

Heart

Wider forehead tapering to a narrow chin. Bottom-heavy or rimless frames balance the forehead. Avoid top-heavy browline frames.

Light / Rimless

Oblong

Longer than wide with a straight cheekline. Taller frames (large lens height) or wide frames add width and balance the length.

Wide / Deep frames

Diamond

Narrow forehead and jaw with prominent cheekbones. Cat-eye or oval frames with detailing at the top complement the cheekbone width.

Cat-eye / Oval

Face shape is a guide, not a rule. Use the Virtual Try-On after your scan to see actual frames at the correct scale on your real face photo β€” which is far more reliable than shape alone.

How does the Virtual Try-On work after my scan?

Virtual Try-On overlays actual frame product images on your scanned face photo at the correct real-world size β€” using your iris positions and mm-per-pixel scale factor as the reference.


Step-by-step: how the overlay is positioned

1

Iris centre as anchor β€” the midpoint between your left and right iris centres (in pixels) is the horizontal anchor. The vertical anchor places the iris at 45% from the top of the frame image β€” matching how most frame product photos are framed.

2

Scale from mm to pixels β€” the frame's total front width (lens + lens + bridge in mm, from the product listing) is converted to pixels using your mm-per-pixel scale factor captured during the scan. This makes the frame appear exactly as large as it would sit on your face.

3

Multiply blend removes white backgrounds β€” frame product photos have white backgrounds. The canvas uses globalCompositeOperation: multiply to mathematically remove white while keeping the frame colours β€” no green-screen needed.

4

Opacity slider β€” adjust from 30–100% to see how opaque or see-through the frame appears. Lower opacity helps verify bridge and temple alignment on your face.

Best results: use frames that have product images specifically from a front-facing angle. The View Product button on each try-on frame takes you directly to that frame's listing β€” where you can check exact mm dimensions before ordering.

Is my face data private? What happens to my camera feed?

Your privacy is taken seriously at every step. Here is exactly what happens to your camera feed, your scan images, and your measurements.


Camera feed β€” stays in your browser

The live camera stream is processed entirely inside your browser using MediaPipe Face Mesh β€” a JavaScript AI library. The raw video feed is never transmitted to any server. Only the captured still-frame JPEG (at the moment of the 3-capture trigger) is sent for server-side analysis.


Captured images β€” processed and stored privately

The 3 captured frames are sent to our Nations Optics server (not any third-party AI cloud). An annotated version with measurement lines is generated and stored in your account so you can review your last scan. Images are stored in a private server directory β€” not publicly accessible via URL without authentication.


Measurements β€” saved only to your Nations Optics account

Face width, PD, nose bridge, and all other measurements are stored in your Nations Optics profile. This data is used exclusively to power the Virtual Try-On and frame size recommendations on product pages. It is never sold or shared with any third party.

Camera: browser-only processing
Images: private, authenticated access only
Measurements: your account only
No third-party data sharing

Want to delete your scan? Click Scan Again on the face scan page. This deactivates your current face profile and removes all associated measurement data from our system. You can re-scan at any time.

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Nations Optics Assistant
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