Mirror, mirror on the ... lens

**Sphinxsmith** · 06-24-2016, 07:23 PM

Howdy!

While I'm not a huge fan of mirror coats the pt's often are. One of the biggest problems I've come across is the inconsistency with the results of a colored mirror. Are there any tips or advice on how to order or when talking to the lab? Base color of the lenses affects the results of the mirror (darker the lense the more noticeable the mirror) along with who is doing the mirror, but beyond that what am I missing?

My current project is the replicate the emerald mirror on the Bolle Jude you see below. However the stock lenses in the image are bronze/rose and the pt wants a polar grey base. The closest I've found is the limon from Opticote's Miami collection.

Help me not hate mirrors anymore!

cs

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**drk** · 06-24-2016, 08:02 PM

Love the look, hate the process?

**obxeyeguy** · 06-24-2016, 08:49 PM

I don't think you will get the same visual effects using a gray lens. They may from a distance look the same, but your patient won't get anywhere near the same visual color effects. I was taught, green on brown, amber, and blue on gray.

**drk** · 06-24-2016, 10:12 PM

Hey, Mr. Unemployed:
I didn't know about that mirror/base tint combination theory.

How does it work?

**Craig** · 06-25-2016, 07:24 AM

Solidar Lab in Largo can get this done for you.

**obxeyeguy** · 06-25-2016, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by drk

Hey, Mr. Unemployed:
I didn't know about that mirror/base tint combination theory.

How does it work?

Not exactly sure. I don't pretend to be the most technical optician out there, and I'm sure one of them will post soon About how the green in the mirror at 631 1/2 nanometers reacts in a photoshopcropshootfinishsynthesis within the photo color dispersion of the polor lens creating a spectacle blur of colors at a range of 14 meters reacting negatively with the red photo receptors in my neighbors plaid shirt yet maintaining equal color contrast with my white boat in the yard. Go figure.

My test after being taught this, much more scientific, ordered each color mirror over each color base, look through them. Wa la! Note color changes, sell right mirror for right base. I had to return major mass spec to Abbey, new season coming up.

Side note, if you look at opticote samples, they will tell you the proper base color for the mirror.

**Dustin.B** · 06-25-2016, 06:55 PM

I've yet to see it put it writing but my folks taught me that it has to do primarily with the "warmth" of the colors. Warmer colors (gold/red/yellow) goes over a brown lens, and colder ones (blues, silvers, greens) over a grey lens.
For whatever that's worth. ^_^

**obxeyeguy** · 06-28-2016, 02:02 PM

Don't know about the "warm, cold" thing, thought that was Mary Kay thing. I wear either flash silver or black mirrors, and would never apply either to a brown, amber, or copper lens.

**Dustin.B** · 06-28-2016, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by obxeyeguy

Don't know about the "warm, cold" thing, thought that was Mary Kay thing. I wear either flash silver or black mirrors, and would never apply either to a brown, amber, or copper lens.

Like I said, just how I was taught on that one. I'll keep looking for the "Lab Geek" answer because honestly that's more my style. ( While being great opticians neither of my folks were lab centered.)

**mervinek** · 06-28-2016, 03:45 PM

I'm not a big fan of mirrors. Maybe because I remember having problems with scratches years ago. Not durable. I'm sure times have changed... anyone have an opinion on durability?

**obxeyeguy** · 06-28-2016, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by mervinek

I'm not a big fan of mirrors. Maybe because I remember having problems with scratches years ago. Not durable. I'm sure times have changed... anyone have an opinion on durability?

My everyday suns are about 4 years old. Grey polor, cr-39, crizal sun mirror ( flash silver). A few hairline scrathers, big ones from stihl weed eater kickbacks. No where near as bad as years ago.

**mervinek** · 06-29-2016, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by obxeyeguy

My everyday suns are about 4 years old. Grey polor, cr-39, crizal sun mirror ( flash silver). A few hairline scrathers, big ones from stihl weed eater kickbacks. No where near as bad as years ago.

Good to know! Thanks!

**Tallboy** · 06-29-2016, 01:41 PM

KBCO has Blanks in all kinds of curves that come with a variety of awesome mirrors, you can add mirrors to a KBCO polarized lens for a negligible upgrade fee - its awesome.

**Sphinxsmith** · 06-29-2016, 01:56 PM

I've put this one in Walman's hands ... let them know exactly what I'm wanting. I'll f/u once they're done, fingers crossed!

cs

**other_bill_fea** · 06-30-2016, 08:24 AM

We went briefly into to the strange color-perception thing that you get as a wearer of different colored mirrors in OPT Magazine's recent Big Color Theory article. Probably more than you ever wanted to know about how color works.

**drk** · 06-30-2016, 08:47 AM

If you look around--you old fogeys--you'll see "the flash" is back in style!

**cowboytelemark** · 06-30-2016, 12:33 PM

Mirrors are very popular for sport sunglasses where I am located, and I see a lot more mirrors on 'lifestyle' sunglasses. Occasionally I will have someone who really wants a specific mirror color, but usually it is because they like the aesthetic quality, not because of the end color effect for the wearer. I think mirrors are great for reducing transmission in bright conditions. I spend a lot of time in my Costa Rx silver mirrors, which is on a polarized copper base. It is more of a flash mirror and very versatile for almost all daytime light conditions. I usually recommend mirror colors based on the customer's base lens color preference. I usually do a polarized brown base with silver, gold, or green mirror, or a grey base with silver or blue mirror. I have personally tried a blue mirror on a brown base and it ended up way to reddish.

**drk** · 06-30-2016, 12:37 PM

I do like you, Cowboy. The flash mirror is mostly cosmetic.

Polarized lenses are lighter than dyed lenses, and one can see their eyes in a polarized lens (a major disaster for some patients!). Adding the flash makes that go away.

I don't think, however, that a standard flash reduces transmission all that much. Maybe single digits. Correct me if I'm wrong.

**drk** · 07-21-2016, 06:15 PM

Ok, here's something I find interesting.

We Rx'd some Adidas sunwear that had stock blue mirror lenses on a brown base. Patient wanted polar gray lenses but the blue mirror on the front. First the lab forgot the mirror, and we just got polar gray. We sent them back for mirror, and....

...we now have a nice blue mirror on what seems to be a yellow-brown-based lens. But it's not really a brown base lens, it's a gray base lens. The blue mirror seemed to block the blue and pass the warmer end of the spectrum.

So here's what I'm thinking:
--Silver flash doesn't change anything because it's neutral.
--Color flash mirrors do change color transmission
--A blue flash will make the base color shift away from blue and make the lens look brown-ish...So if you tint the lens before mirror coating, you'd have to add extra blue to compensate.
--A red flash will make the base color shift away from red and make the lens look blue-ish...So if you tint the lens before mirror coating, you'd have to add extra red to compensate.
--Color mirror coating on a polarized lens could be a problem, since you cannot control the base tint color which is really the laminate.
--If you really must mirror coat a polarized lens, use silver for less transmission color distortion
--If you really must COLOR mirror coat a polarized lens, if the lens is brown-based, use a blue mirror*.
--If you really must COLOR mirror coat a polarized lens, if the lens is gray-based, use a red mirror <edit> but it will look a little blue-ish gray. If you use a blue mirror on a gray-based polar, go ahead, but it will look brownish/greenish/rose.

What do you think?

*Edit to add Tallboy's input/correction on this summary:
--If you really must COLOR mirror coat a polarized lens, if the lens is brown-based, use a green mirror.

**drk** · 07-21-2016, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by cowboytelemark

I usually recommend mirror colors based on the customer's base lens color preference. I usually do a polarized brown base with silver, gold, or green mirror, or a grey base with silver or blue mirror. I have personally tried a blue mirror on a brown base and it ended up way to reddish.

I forgot about green mirrors. Since they're middle spectrum, I guess there'd be residual red and blue transmission, which could look purple? Or just gray?

Your comments on blue mirror on brown base makes sense...turned it too red. Maybe my recommendations on polarized lenses are off, then. Maybe it should be:

brown base: red mirror, although it will make it less brownish (but that's better than too reddish the other way)
gray base: blue mirror, although it will make it less gray and more brownish (but that's better than too bluish the other way?)

**Tallboy** · 07-21-2016, 06:42 PM

Green Mirror is really good on brown lenses DrK

BTW I have a great blue mirror on a gray lens and it is like a rose/grey tint - I love it. They are the BEST driving glasses I've ever had.

**Sphinxsmith** · 07-21-2016, 07:20 PM

Interesting and logical spin on the mirror/base color combo there Doc, I'll be taking that into account next go-round.
FYI, the job that started this thread turned out great for the pt colors were on point and he was pleased. I could nit-pic some finishing issues but nothing more than an optician would notice.
I'm calling it a Win.

cs