High Index 1.74 (MR-174) Shortage

We have heard that select manufacturers have run into shortages of 1.74 index lenses across various base curves and colors. Although we do not know if this will apply to our own vendors yet, the global supply is facing constraint and may eventually affect our own supply of lenses. This disruption may last the next few months.

Encore will inform our customers as soon as we have more details, and if this will impact orders going forward. Thank you for your understanding.

New Prices Active

Our new lens price guides are now active as of March 1st. Locate them to accurately quote patients for laboratory work. Please read the accompanying newsletter to learn what new products are now available.

The largest introduction for 2026 is 1.60 index lenses. This MR-8 material will allow patients to get many of the benefits of polycarbonate (UV blocking, drillable, grooveable, thin, and lightweight) but have the increased clarity that comes with the higher Abbe value. The optics vastly outperform polycarbonate and patients should not experience chromatic aberration.

(Accounts that participate in a Blanket Purchase Agreement may use their current price guides until they renew at a later date.)

Temporary Disco Transitions Bifocals&Trifocals in Polycarbonate

Due to quality issues upstream with Poly ST28, ST35 and STT7x28 Transitions, we will be temporarily discontinuing the product line. Defects were due to bubbles and pits in the scratch coat causing low yields and reworks in the lab before we were able to ship a defect free pair. Transitions products sold in the last year will continue to perform excellently and we hope to offer it in the future after cosmetic defects from the manufacturer upstream are addressed.

It will be left on our online catalog for anyone that may have missed this blog post, but will be calling customers to switch to our Photochromic product instead.

New Lenses and Price Guides!

Encore Vision now offers the Camber Steady Plus suite of lenses that are amongst the best our industry has to offer. These lenses feature a dual-sided design that takes a variable front curve and combines it with IOT Digital Ray Path to accomplish unmatched vision quality and comfort. Hyperopic patients will also enjoy flatter and thinner lenses due to the dual-sided design, but all prescriptions will get the latest technology that reduces swim and sway with binocular balance improvements. Read more about camber technology here www.camberlens.com or you can read our brochure on the Camber Steady Plus.

Due to this new offering we will be sending out new price guides effective July 7th, 2025. On this price guide we’re happy to announce some cost decreases on several product lines including all high-index lenses.

New Prices Active March 1st

New frame and lens price guides were mailed out by February 18th and should be delivered at your clinic. If you have not already located them, please ask your mail room. If needed, Encore can email PDF copies or custom markup versions (such as 20% increase or fitting fee) for pricing directly to patients.

Included in the packet of information may also be new frame stickers, for frames that have changed prices. Be sure to change them out so that you can accurately quote prices to patients.

Lastly, please read the included newsletter describing lens discontinuations, new products, frame changes, and changes to high power ranges.

Transitions Colors Discontinuation

We have had a high rate of optical aberration and distortion on our 1.67 Transitions product. Upon investigation we have learned that on some colors they are using MR-7 material instead of MR-10 and the lower melting point is causing the lens to distort and fall out of acceptable tolerances. The following colors will be removed from ordering until we can source a new supplier.

• 1.67 Transitions GenS Ruby

• 1.67 Transitions GenS Sapphire

• 1.67 Transitions GenS Amethyst

• 1.67 Transitions GenS Emerald

• 1.67 Transitions GenS Amber

High index 1.67 Transitions will still be available in Gray, Brown, Gray-green (Graphite Green), XTRActive Gray, and XTRActive Brown.

Photo Dark Temporary Discontinuation

Due to quality issues in our photochromic DARK products, we will be temporarily discontinuing the product line. Defects were due to bubbles and pits in the scratch coat causing low yields and reworks in the lab before we were able to ship a defect free pair. Photo dark products sold in the last year will continue to perform excellently and we hope to offer it in the future after cosmetic defects from the manufacturer upstream are addressed.

Measuring Office/Computer Lenses

When it comes to checking the power of an office lens the total near power is the area of focus. Often, centration charts for these lenses only have a near reference point and no “distance/intermediate” reference point marked out for the lens.

The invoice will list the ordered prescription (thin font) and the compensated powers (bold font) on the invoice. These bold values will be for the near reference point, and the “add” power will instead be how much power is backed off (more minus) for patients intermediate power.

What is nice about the office/computer lenses is that there is no need for a intermediate power refraction, and the software will instead determine the correct power for the top portion depending on the version of the office lens selected. Make sure to enter the full distance refraction and full add power when ordering. Options for intermediate distances are 1.3meter (4ft), 2meter (6.5ft), 4meter (12ft), and 6meter (18ft).

Endless office is Encore’s newest office lens that brings Digital Ray Path 2 to our computer lens offerings. There is no price difference when upgrading from IOT Reader II, and can be ordered right now!