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Magnifiers

  People need magnifiers mainly for two reasons: reading things that weren't too small when you were young; seeing very small things you could never really see. So, categorizing magnifiers can be a bit arbitrary since we don't know what you could see then or now. We hope you will find these groupings useful but call if you're in doubt.

Note: Any recommendations you find on these pages as to usage are intended as guidelines only.

Geology Lenses for Identifying
Really Small Stuff

Identifying minerals, plants or insects? Use 10X geology lenses for gems & minerals or higher power 15-30X triplet loupes for ultra fine detail such as microfractures. Or, buy an economical, plastic frame foldout magnifier for plant, leaf & flower identification. All come with glass lenses.

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10X Geology Loupe Doublets	15-30X Geology Lenses Triplets	5-15X Plastic Geology Loupes

"Sherlock Holmes" Handheld Magnifiers

Need to read a newspaper? You might need as little as 1.7 times (1.7X) magnification, so bigger is better. Choose from inexpensive plastic frames or fashionable wood handles. All come with glass lenses.

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Plastic Frame Magnifiers	Metal Frame Magnifying Glass	Rectangular Magnifiers

Linen Testers-Printer's Loupes

Whether you are measuring dot separation or thread density, a linen tester is an inexpensive way to do quality control. Most have ruler markings & can be used hands free. The higher power ones, 8, 10 & 14X are ideal for scrutinizing security features in documents.

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Plastic Linen Testers 2-5X	Metal Linen Testers 6-10X	Printer's Loupes 10-14X

Promotional Magnifiers

Sometimes, you just need an inexpensive magnifier to give out to customers. Most of these can be imprinted with your logo.

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Small Handheld Magnifiers	Credit Card Magnifiers

What Size Lens?

Simply put, the higher the magnification, the smaller the lens. A strong magnifier is ALWAYS used close to your eye AND the object you are looking at, so with a 10, 20 or 30X you might only see a single letter on a page. Further, the part of the magnifier you are using is only about the same size as the pupil of your eye.

What Magnification Do I Need Then?

Probably much less then you think. A 1.7X magnifier enlarges an object a factor of 1.7 in height & width. In effect, this makes something 2.89 times bigger (1.7 x 1.7); that is, your eye is now using 2.89 times as many cells to see something. So, if that newspaper or book is just a little hard to read, this may be all you need.

Guarantee

Only technical specifications can be guaranteed. If you have impaired vision, consult your health care professional for advice since it is not within our range of expertise.