What fullness should curtains have?

For S-Fold, about 2.2 times the track width; for pinch pleat, about 2 times. Our curtains are made at 2.2× and 2×, so an 1800 mm track takes about 4.0 m or 3.6 m of fabric width.

How much space do curtains take up when open?

Allow about a fifth of the track width for S-Fold and about a quarter for pinch pleat, shared between the two sides of a centre-opening pair. On an 1800 mm track that is about 360 mm for S-Fold, or 180 mm each side.

How far should a curtain track extend past the window?

By about the stack-back on each side, so the open curtains sit on the wall instead of over the glass. For an 1800 mm window in S-Fold, that is roughly 150–200 mm each side.

Do you make eyelet curtains?

No. We make S-Fold and pinch pleat curtains, which run on a track. Eyelet curtains thread onto a rod through metal rings; S-Fold gives a similar soft, even wave and slides more easily.

Curtain fullness and stack-back explained

Fullness is how much fabric goes into a curtain compared with the track it hangs on: our S-Fold curtains use 2.2 times the track width and pinch pleat 2 times. Stack-back is the space the curtain takes up when open: allow about a fifth of the track width for S-Fold and about a quarter for pinch pleat, shared between the two sides.

Fullness by track width

Track width	Fabric, S-Fold	Fabric, pinch pleat	Stack-back, S-Fold	Stack-back, pinch pleat
1,200 mm	2.6 m	2.4 m	about 240 mm	about 300 mm
1,800 mm	4.0 m	3.6 m	about 360 mm	about 450 mm
2,400 mm	5.3 m	4.8 m	about 480 mm	about 600 mm
3,000 mm	6.6 m	6.0 m	about 600 mm	about 750 mm
4,200 mm	9.2 m	8.4 m	about 840 mm	about 1,050 mm

Fabric width before side hems. Stack-back is the total for both sides of a centre-opening pair; a one-way curtain stacks it all on one side. Stack-back figures are the rule of thumb curtain makers use and vary with fabric weight.

Why fullness matters

Fullness is what makes a curtain look full when it is closed. At 2× or more the folds are deep and even. Below about 1.8× the fabric looks stretched flat, and sheers in particular look thin. It is also why width moves the price more than drop: every extra metre of track needs more than two metres of fabric.

Stack-back and where to put the track

The stack-back is the bundle of fabric left at the side when the curtain is open. If the track stops at the window frame, that bundle covers part of the glass and blocks light. Extend the track past the frame by roughly the stack-back on each side, and the open curtains clear the glass completely.

Heavier fabrics stack wider. Our thermal fabric, at 360 gsm, stacks noticeably wider than the 90 gsm sheer.

Overlap and light gaps

Centre-opening pairs are made with a 100 mm overlap where they meet, so light doesn’t show through the middle. For bedrooms, fix the track to the ceiling or close to it and let the curtain touch the floor; that closes the gaps at the top and bottom, which a blockout fabric can’t fix on its own.

See how to measure for curtains or use the curtain size calculator.

S-Fold curtains Pinch pleat curtains

Prices include GST and were checked on 29 October 2026. They come from the same calculator as the product pages.