Curtain Fullness
When curtains are sewn gathered, or tied to have pleating, they are described as curtains with fullness. Standard theatrical drapes are constructed using box pleats (see image A below).
Pleating breaks up the plane of a flat curtain, allowing it to provide more depth of visual field and block more light.
Using one and a half as many widths of the fabric used in a flat curtain yields a curtain with 50% fullness. One 54" wide piece of fabric will be pleated down to 36".
Using two times the number of fabric widths in a flat curtain, the pleated curtain will have 100%
fullness (e.g., one 54" wide piece of fabric will be pleated down to 27" to obtain 100% fullness).
Pinch pleats (image C below) are most commonly used on light and medium weight fabrics with at least 100% fullness.
Knife Pleats (image D below) are most commonly used on light weight fabrics with 100% fullness or
more. This treatment provides a consistent fullness across the width of a drape. Pinch pleats are most commonly used on light and medium weight fabrics with at least 100% fullness. Flat curtains (image B below) are generally used in drops, cycloramas and masking.
If you're still a bit uncertain about the right amount of fullness for your needs, please contact us
at customerservice@RoseBrand.com or call 800-223-1624. If you're ready to order a custom sewing job on the web, please use our Request A Custom Sewing Quote application.
 A – Box pleat with 100% fullness
 C – Pinch pleat with 100% fullness
 B – Flat drape (zero fullness) with no pleats
 D – Knife pleat with 100% fullness
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