Eyewear Lens Colour Reference Guide
For industrial application purposes, this guide will help you understand the functionality of "task-specific" lenses and how to determine what type of lens is best for your application and environment. It is important to understand why there are more lens colour options beyond clear, grey and mirror lenses. The basic rule of thumb for choosing a lens is to consider colour opposites. Blue is the opposite of yellow, and red is the opposite of green. Therefore, red lenses will absorb green light and yellow lenses will absorb blue/ultraviolet light, and vice versa.
clear
Clear Lens – Protects Against Ultraviolet Light
- General-purpose.
- Provides maximum visual acuity and maximum colour recognition.
yellow/amber
Yellow/Contrast Amber Lens – Absorbs Blue and Ultraviolet Light
- Used when sharpness, acuity, and contrast are needed.
- Blocks high intensity blue lighting, such as UV. Number one use is UV absorption.
- Used in curing operations.
- Filters out hazy light that is hard on the eyes (everything seems brighter).
- Good for working outside at dawn and dusk.
- Good for hazy, overcast, or foggy days (because of the blue/grey light, functions similarly to a fog light)
- Should not be used where protection from infrared radiation is required, or for driving.
red/vermillion
Red/Vermilion/Rose Lens – Absorbs Some Green light
- Sharpens visual acuity and provides a contrast similar to the Contrast Amber Lens. Some people prefer this lens when choosing a lens to sharpen visual acuity.
- Good for inspections; you can see defects better (for inspection of circuit boards, miniature components, assembly items, etc.).
- Filters out light that is hard on the eyes.
- Not as good for outside at dawn or dusk as a Contrast Amber Lens.
green
Green/I.R. Shade Lens – Blocks Red/Infrared (I.R.) Light
- Use any place where there is heat.
- Good for metal making, furnace work, trash incineration, and open flames.
- Protects against glare, ultraviolet, and infrared radiation.
- Shades 1.7 to 3 – Ideal for torch brazing or torch soldering, light cutting.
- Shades 5 to 8 – Ideal for light brazing, cutting, and gas welding.
- Shades 9 to 14 – Ideal for all other welding processes.
grey
smoke
mirror
Grey/Smoke/Mirror Lenses – Reduce Glare and Bright Light
- Used to reduce glare and/or to decrease visible brightness.
- Good for outdoor applications where a task-specific lens is not required.
- Can still recognize traffic and warning signals.
- Provides good colour recognition (for utility workers and lines people).
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Indoor/Outdoor Lens – Reduces Glare and Bright Light
- Tones everything down and provides excellent vision in both indoor and outdoor lighting.
- Good for applications where working both indoors and outdoors is required.
