Acetate vs. injection: what your customers can feel
Sheet acetate feels like a different product because it is one. It's cut from a colored sheet, tumbled for days, and hand-polished — so color runs through the material, hinges anchor into solid stock, and an optician can adjust the fit with heat. Injection frames are molded plastic: lighter, cheaper (often $1.5–4/pc vs $5.5–13.5), and fine for promotional eyewear — but the surface, weight, and color depth read "giveaway," not "brand."
Side-by-side
| Property | Sheet acetate | Injection (PC/TR90) |
|---|---|---|
| Color | In the material; tortoise has real depth | Painted or single-tone; wears at edges |
| Surface | Hand-polished, warm, glassy | Mold finish; parting lines visible |
| Weight feel | Substantial, "quality" heft | Very light; can read as cheap |
| Adjustability | Heat-adjustable by any optician | Limited; springs back |
| Repairability | Re-polishable, hinge re-settable | Usually replaced, not repaired |
| Typical FOB cost | $5.5–13.5/pc | $1.5–4/pc |
| MOQ reality | From 100 pcs (sheet cutting) | Often 1,000+ (mold amortization) |
When injection is the right call
Event merchandise, promo sunglasses, kids' lines that get destroyed, or price points under $25 retail. There's no shame in it — but it's a different supply chain, and it's not what we make.
The test your customers run without knowing it
- They pick the frame up — weight registers first.
- They run a thumb over the temple — mold lines vs polish.
- They look at the tortoise in light — flat print vs depth.
Retail prices above $80 need to pass all three. That's the argument for acetate in one paragraph. Feel it yourself: the Sample Kit ships three finished acetate frames for $89, credited to your first order.
