Pleat and Fullness Calculator
Convert a finished coverage width into flat fabric with either a fullness ratio or an explicit pleat take-up.
Calculator
Calculated in your browser. These measurements are not sent to the server.
Reference examples
These fill the form. Derived ratios are labeled. They are not universal heading standards.
Result
- Flat fabric width
- 90 in (228.6 cm)
- Per panel
- 90 in (228.6 cm)
- Implied fullness
- 2×
Suggested fullness start: 2. A named heading is not assumed.
Fullness mode multiplies the finished coverage width by the ratio. Pleat count is not used.
Panel count divides the flat width into equal panels.
How this calculation works
Fullness mode multiplies the finished coverage width by the ratio. Flat width = finished width × fullness.
Geometry mode adds the cloth consumed by the pleats: flat width = finished width + pleat count × take-up per pleat.
Panel count splits that flat width into equal parts. Reference tape numbers can fill the form, and derived ratios are labeled as derived.
Worked example
45 in coverage, 10 pleats, 3 in take-up
Flat width = 45 + 10 × 3 = 75 in.
The implied ratio is 75 ÷ 45 = 1.666…, which matches (4.5 + 3) ÷ 4.5 from a 4.5 in spacing.
That ratio is derived from spacing and take-up. It is not a claim that every cartridge heading must use it.
Assumptions and limitations
- The two modes are alternatives. Geometry mode does not also multiply by the ratio.
- Pleat spacing is not required. Enter the take-up you measured or the tape figure you are using.
- The calculator does not invent a long list of named pleat styles.
- Returns, overlap, and fabric width belong on the curtain width and fabric calculators.
Common questions
What do the 2.6× and 2.3× examples mean?
They are explicit deep-pleat tape examples: 2.6× when two channels are skipped and 2.3× when three are skipped. They are reference presets, not a rule for every deep heading.
Are the cartridge, triple-pinch, and goblet ratios official fullness values?
No. Those three ratios are derived from published spacing and take-up. The form shows the derivation when you apply the example.