FAQ
Questions buyers ask before a first order.
Grouped by the stage you are at. Where an answer depends on your specific programme — minimums, lead times, capacity — we say so rather than publishing a figure that will not apply to your order.
Working with us
What is the difference between OEM, ODM and private label?
It comes down to who owns the design. In OEM you supply the design and we build to it. In ODM you start from our existing shapes and we adapt them until the model is yours. In private label you take frames we already produce and apply your own branding and packaging. Private label is fastest and cheapest; OEM gives the most control and costs the most to develop.
Can you produce eyewear under our own brand name?
Yes. Frames can carry your brand through pad printing, laser engraving and your own temple marking format, with cases, cloths and cartons produced to your artwork.
Do you sell single pairs to individual customers?
No. We supply on a business-to-business basis to brands, optical retailers, distributors, wholesalers and importers. We do not sell single pairs to individual wearers.
Will you tell us if our design will not work?
Yes, and at drawing stage rather than after sampling. A rim that holds at 48mm may not hold at 56mm. Raising that early costs a conversation; raising it late costs a season.
Who owns a design we send you?
It stays yours. Designs, drawings, samples, artwork and trade marks supplied by a customer remain that customer’s property, and we do not reuse them for another buyer.
Product & materials
What materials do you work in?
Our production is built around cellulose acetate — optical frames and sunglasses cut from sheet. If your programme calls for metal, combination or another construction, ask us directly and we will tell you plainly whether we can supply it or whether you are better served elsewhere.
What do the numbers printed on the temple mean?
They are the frame’s size marking. On our C-1233, “55 □ 19 – 145” means a 55mm lens width, a 19mm bridge and a 145mm temple. The □ symbol denotes the boxing system used to measure the lens. See our size guide for how to read them against a frame you already sell.
Can we get colours that are not shown on the site?
Yes. The colourways shown are the frames we photographed, not the limit of what can be produced. Sheet is selected per programme, and a colour that is not in stock can usually be sourced — that affects lead time, so raise it early.
Why are frame weight and hinge type not listed on product pages?
Because they depend on the sheet and components specified for your run, and we would rather leave a field blank than publish a number that will not match what you receive. Both are confirmed at sampling.
Do you supply sunglasses as well as optical frames?
Yes. We manufacture cellulose acetate optical frames and sunglasses. Sunglasses carry additional requirements around UV and optical class that vary by destination market, so tell us where the goods are going at enquiry stage.
Orders & export
What is your minimum order quantity?
It depends on the model, the colourway and whether a bespoke sheet has to be sourced — minimums are usually set per model and per colourway rather than as one number across a collection. Send us the models and volumes you are planning and we will give you the actual figures for that programme.
What are your lead times?
We quote lead time broken into stages — sampling and approval, sheet sourcing, production, finishing, inspection and packing, then documentation and freight — because a single number hides where the risk sits. The figures depend on the model and current loading, so we confirm them against your specific order rather than publishing an average.
Will we get a sample before production?
Yes, and we recommend budgeting for two sample rounds rather than one. Nothing goes to production until you have approved a physical frame in the actual material, and that approved sample is retained as the reference for the batch.
Which countries do you export to?
We welcome enquiries from any market and will confirm what we can supply, and what we cannot, before you commit. We do not publish a country count — it is a number that is easy to inflate and impossible for a buyer to verify from a web page.
How are eyewear shipments classified for customs?
Frames and mountings for spectacles fall under HS heading 9003; complete spectacles and sunglasses fall under 9004, with 9004.10 for sunglasses. Duty rates and national sub-classifications vary by destination, so confirm against your own tariff schedule or customs broker rather than relying on ours.
Which standards do spectacle frames need to meet?
The reference standard for spectacle frames is ISO 12870, which sets requirements and test methods covering construction, dimensional tolerances, dimensional stability, resistance to perspiration, bridge deformation, lens retention and endurance, among others. Building to a standard and holding a third-party test report for your specific model are different things — if your market requires documented test results, tell us at enquiry stage.
Not answered here?
Ask us directly. A specific question about your programme is easier for us to answer usefully than a general one, and you will get a specific answer back — including when the answer is that we are not the right factory for it.
Let's work together
Ask us something specific.
Send your requirement — frame types, quantities, destination market and timeline — and we will answer against your programme rather than in general terms.