Specsy is a two-year-old company
that specializes in creating 3D printed
frames custom tailored to each
patient’s aesthetic preferences and
technical requirements.
The innovative company started out
by producing frames in plastic resin
before launching a “digital concrete”
collection in September.
The nylon frames are more durable,
impact-resistant and lightweight
than traditional acetate and are avail-
able in a rainbow of colours, including
red, orange, yellow, forest green,
cobalt blue, purple, black and white.
Specsy is now in the research and
development stage of adding a third
material - printed metal - to its lineup.
3D eyewear is the new kid on the optical
industry block. And the technology
has opened up a whole new world
of customization options.
As an example, companies like Specsy
are able to create one-of-a-kind glasses
that are perfectly suited for people
with large faces, small nose bridges or
unique facial features that make it
difficult to wear conventional off-the-
board frames.
They can also print frames in a wide
variety of colours, patterns or designs.
3D printed frames are also marketed
as being extremely lightweight, yet
durable and strong.
3D printing began in the mid-1980s,
but really started to gain popularity
years later as a way for the automotive
and aerospace industries to create
prototypes.
6 EYE FOCUS February Digital 2019
In 2007, the German company Mykita
began experimenting with creating
3D-printed glasses using polyamide.
It became the first company to begin
making eyewear using the material and
selective laser sintering technology, a 3D
printing technique that had been used
primarily to make automobile parts.
In 2012, Mykita launched the world’s
first collection of 3D-printed frames,
called Mylon, according to the global
media company 3D Printing Industry.
Several start-up companies began
making their own 3D frames in the
years that followed.
The Wall Street Journal recently
reported that about a million pairs of
3D printed frames were expected to
be purchased worldwide in 2018, far
more than a few years prior.