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Curtain Fabric Calculator

Curtain fabric metres from track width, drop, fullness and heading type, including pattern repeat, lining, tape and hooks.

About this tool

Curtain Fabric Calculator

Curtain fabric metres from track width, drop, fullness and heading type, including pattern repeat, lining, tape and hooks.

The Curtain Fabric Calculator works the way a curtain workroom does: it multiplies the track width plus returns and centre overlap by the heading's fullness ratio, divides by the usable width of the roll to get the number of whole widths (drops), then rounds the cut length up to a whole pattern repeat so the design matches across every seam. Fullness follows standard specifications — 2.5x for pencil and pinch pleat, 2.0x for eyelet and rod pocket, 1.75x for tab top. It returns face fabric, lining, heading tape and hook count so a single order covers the whole job.

How to use Curtain Fabric Calculator

  1. 1

    Open Curtain Fabric Calculator on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.

  2. 2

    Switch between "Centimetres" and "Inches", enter "Track or pole width" and "Finished drop", and choose "A pair that meets in the middle" or "One single curtain".

  3. 3

    Pick a "Heading type" — "Pencil pleat tape" at 2.5x, "Eyelet" at 2.0x or "Tab top" at 1.75x — then set "Fabric roll width (cm)" and "Pattern repeat (cm, 0 if plain)".

  4. 4

    Read "Face fabric to buy" in metres with the widths and cut length beneath it, then the "Lining to buy", "Heading tape" and "Curtain hooks" rows; "Copy result" saves the take-off.

Why use Curtain Fabric Calculator

  • Widths, not guesswork

    Rounds up to whole drops off the roll, which is how fabric is actually cut and priced.

  • Pattern repeat handled

    Rounds the cut length to a full repeat and shows exactly how many metres that costs you.

  • Trimmings included

    Lining metres, heading tape and hook count come out with the fabric figure.

Common use cases

  • Buying fabric for a pair of pencil-pleat curtains on a 200 cm track with a 220 cm drop
  • Seeing how much extra a 32 cm pattern repeat adds across five widths before choosing a printed fabric
  • Comparing 137 cm curtaining against a 280 cm wide sheer, where the wider roll may need half the widths

Frequently asked questions

How much fabric do I need for curtains?

Multiply the track width plus returns and overlap by the fullness ratio, divide by the usable roll width to get whole widths, then multiply that by the cut length. A 200 cm track with 2.5x pencil-pleat fullness and a 220 cm drop needs 5 widths of 137 cm fabric cut at 248 cm, which is about 12.4 m plain — or 12.8 m once a 32 cm pattern repeat is matched.

What fullness should curtains be?

Pencil pleat and pinch pleat are normally specified at 2.5 times the track width, eyelet and rod pocket at 2.0, wave at about 2.2 and tab top at 1.75. Below the recommended figure the gathers look sparse and the curtain hangs flat rather than in folds, so fullness is worth protecting even if it means a plainer fabric.

Do I measure the window or the track for curtains?

Always the track or pole, not the window, and measure it after it is fitted. Track is normally run 15 to 20 cm past the reveal on each side so the curtains stack off the glass, which means the fabric quantity follows the track length, not the opening.

How does a pattern repeat affect curtain fabric?

Every cut length has to be rounded up to a whole repeat so the pattern lines up across the seams, and that rounding is paid for on every width. A 248 cm cut with a 32 cm repeat becomes 256 cm, which is 8 cm wasted per width — 40 cm across five widths, and considerably more on a large repeat of 60 cm or above.

Embed this tool on your site

Add the Curtain Fabric Calculator widget to your blog or website — free, responsive, no signup. Just keep the “Widget by AltFTool” credit link visible.

<iframe src="https://www.altftool.com/embed/widget/curtain-fabric-calculator"
  title="Curtain Fabric Calculator — free AltFTool widget"
  width="100%" height="640" style="border:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden"
  loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" allow="clipboard-write"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:12px;margin:4px 0 0">Widget by <a href="https://www.altftool.com/tools/all/curtain-fabric-calculator?utm_source=embed&amp;utm_medium=widget" rel="nofollow">AltFTool — free online tools</a></p>

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