Custom Graticule Manufacturer for Precision Instruments
Kingsview Optical is a custom graticule manufacturer working from Rye, East Sussex, producing graticules — also called reticles — for instrument designers and defence contractors by photolithography and lift-off deposition. Patterns are made on flat glass or applied directly onto optical elements such as prisms and windows, with in-house vacuum coating and inspection before dispatch.
- Manufacturing in the UK since 1996
- ISO 9001:2015
- On-site photolithography & coating
- NDA-protected defence work
- One-offs to production batches
Graticule & Reticle Applications
As a custom graticule manufacturer supplying across precision instrumentation, our patterns are found everywhere from laboratory microscopy through to defence sighting systems.
Microscope Eyepiece Graticules
Measurement scales, reference grids and field stops for laboratory and industrial microscopes, made to standard or custom eyepiece formats.
Resolution Test Charts
Targets for verifying the resolving power of optical systems and camera lenses, produced to the same tolerances as our instrument graticules.
Sighting Aids & Ballistic Reticles
Crosshairs, ranging scales and ballistic compensation patterns for defence and security applications, manufactured under NDA where required.
Surveying & Geodetic Reticles
Angular scales and levelling references for surveying instruments, held to sub-micron positional accuracy across the substrate.
Also manufactured:
- Counting chambers for haematology and biological research
- Precision apertures and aperture stops
- Polka dot beamsplitters
- Medical and ophthalmic instrument scales
- Alignment targets and calibration marks
- Machine vision calibration targets
Patterns on Prisms and Curved Optics
Most graticule suppliers pattern flat glass only. Kingsview applies graticule and reticle patterns directly onto finished optical elements — including prisms and optical windows — not just flat substrates.
That means a reticle can be integrated into a prism assembly rather than manufactured as a separate flat element bonded alongside it: one fewer optical interface to coat, align and hold in tolerance, and a shorter, lighter assembly. Useful wherever space is tight, weight matters, or an additional glass-to-air surface is unwelcome.
Graticule Coating Materials
The right deposited material depends on your reflectance requirement, the contrast you need, and the environment the instrument will work in. All four are coated in-house.
Chrome
High contrast, excellent edge definition, resilient in demanding environments. The standard choice for reticles and crosshair patterns.
Protected Aluminium
Higher reflectance than chrome with good adhesion and clean pattern edges. Suited to applications reflecting from the graticule surface.
Protected Silver
The highest reflectance of the metallic options. More demanding to process, so reserved for protected indoor instrument applications.
High Contrast Black
A proprietary coating developed in-house, giving the highest visual contrast available — ideal for resolution charts and calibration targets.
The Graticule Manufacturing Process
Understanding how photolithographic graticules are produced helps in specifying them correctly.
- Photomask generationYour pattern artwork — DXF, Gerber, vector PDF or DWG — is used to generate a precision photomask.
- Resist coating and UV exposureThe glass substrate is coated with photosensitive resist, then exposed through the mask under controlled UV in our cleanroom.
- DevelopmentThe exposed resist is developed to reveal the pattern ready for deposition.
- Deposition and lift-offMetallic layers are deposited by vacuum evaporation; resist removal during lift-off leaves the finished pattern.
- Inspection and finishingLine widths down to a few microns with sub-micron positional accuracy across the substrate, with anti-reflection coating applied where specified.
Pattern Artwork Requirements
Supplying artwork in the right format is the single biggest factor in turnaround time.
Accepted Formats
- DXF — preferred, for precision patterns with coordinates
- Gerber (RS-274X)
- PDF — vector only
- AutoCAD DWG
JPEG, PNG and TIFF cannot be used — bitmap formats lack the dimensional accuracy photolithography requires.
Specification Checklist
- All dimensions at 1:1 scale, units stated in millimetres
- Line widths explicitly defined, 2 micron minimum
- Text converted to outlines, not live text
- Clear aperture boundary on a separate layer or annotated
No artwork yet? We work from sketches, functional descriptions, or an existing graticule for replication — with a pattern proof for your approval before any substrate is committed.
Tolerances and Inspection
Every graticule is inspected under magnification for pattern quality, edge definition and dimensional accuracy before dispatch, with critical dimensions verified against calibrated metrology.
First-article inspection reports, material traceability certificates and coating verification documentation are available on request for defence and regulated medical device applications, all produced under an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. Pattern confidentiality for defence and security work is protected under NDA.
Graticules are frequently one element of a larger build. See our custom optics manufacturing capability for the full design-to-delivery service, our optical lens manufacturing for the elements a graticule sits alongside, or our optical design consultancy if the instrument itself still needs designing.
Have a Custom Graticule or Reticle Project?
Send your pattern artwork — or just a sketch and a description of what it needs to do — and we'll come back with a quote.
Request a Quote Typical lead time 4–6 weeks. We reply to RFQs within one working day.FAQ
DXF is preferred for precision patterns with defined coordinates. Gerber (RS-274X), vector PDF, and AutoCAD DWG are also accepted. Bitmap formats such as JPEG, PNG, and TIFF can’t be used, since they don’t carry the dimensional accuracy photolithography requires.
No. Kingsview manufactures custom graticules and reticles from a single one-off piece through to production batches, and quotes each the same way regardless of quantity.
Pattern complexity, minimum line width, and substrate size are the main factors on any order. For a one-off, photomask generation is a fixed cost spread across a single piece so works out expensive ordering in batch spreads that same setup cost across more units, so unit price drops noticeably even at modest volumes. Coating choice (chrome, aluminium, silver, or the in-house high-contrast black) and any inspection or certification requirements also affect price
Lead time is normally 4–6 weeks, depending on pattern complexity, coating choice, and whether finished artwork is already supplied.
Yes. The team can work from a sketch, a functional description of what the pattern needs to do, or an existing graticule to be replicated, and will produce a pattern proof for approval before committing to substrate.
Achievable line widths run to several microns with sub-micron positional accuracy across the full substrate. Every graticule is inspected under magnification for pattern quality, edge definition, and dimensional accuracy before shipment, with critical dimensions verified against calibrated metrology.
Yes patterns can be applied directly onto optical elements such as prisms and windows, not only flat substrates, so a reticle can be integrated into a prism assembly rather than manufactured as a separate flat element. It is also possible to apply to curved lens surfaces but depends on the geometry as the curve can’t be too steep.
