Guide to Curtain Header Styles
Your curtain header dictates more than just your room's aesthetic—it controls how the fabric
hangs, how much window space it occupies, and how smoothly it glides across your hardware.
Before selecting a style, review these three core measurement terms to guarantee a flawless,
custom fit on your first order.
Key Measurement Terms
The amount of wall or window space your curtains occupy when they are fully pulled open.
The ratio of extra fabric used compared to the finished width of your window, ensuring the panels create rich, luxurious folds rather than hanging like a flat sheet.
The exact distance between pleats or carriers that determines how rhythmically the fabric repeats and whether the panel stacks cleanly.
Grommet
● The Look: A classy and crisp look that is the hottest choice for contemporary settings.
● Specification: The grommet inner diameter is 1.6", and the outer diameter is 2.2". An even number of grommets is required for uniform folds. Available colors include silver, black, bronze, and gold.
● Measurement: Measure from the top of your rod down to your preferred floor endpoint.Remember to add 1.2" when measuring the total length to account for the fabric height above the grommets.
● Hardware Match: Fits curtain rods less than 1.5" in diameter. Works exclusively with rods, not tracks.
● Custom Options: Recommended fullness is 1.5-2.5x.
What to know:
- No clips or rings are needed for installation.
- This style features the smallest stack back width, accounting for about 1/8 (or approximately 20%) of the ordered panel width after folds.
- The fold depth is 6", the panel projection from the wall is 5 1/4", and the stacked depth projects 6 1/2 inches from the wall.
Designer Tips: For the easiest operation, grommets draw most smoothly on rods up to 1" in diameter, with a maximum rod thickness of 1 3/8".
Rod Pocket
● The Look: A perfect fit for a tailored look, featuring a lined top.
● Specification: The pocket size is 2.8" high with a 1.2" ruffled top, creating an overall header height of 4".
● Measurement: Measure the panel length from the top of the rod to the floor. Add the 1.2" ruffled top to your final length measurement.
● Hardware Match: Fits standard curtain rods less than 1.78" in diameter; not compatible with tracks.
● Custom Options: Bigger pockets and double pockets for French doors are available. If you prefer a flat profile, specify "4-inch pocket only, no top" while checking out.
What to know:
- Can be hung completely flat (1x fullness) or pleated (1.5-2.5x fullness).
- When stacked, the curtain width reduces to approximately 15-20% of the ordered panel width.
- The stack-back depth is highly compact, projecting just 1 1/4 inches from the wall.
Designer Tips: Because the fabric header rests directly on the rod, this style does not slide easily and is not recommended for heavy or long curtains that open frequently. It is ideal for lightweight, breathable textiles like organic cotton or sheer European flax.
Pinch Pleat
●The Look: A statement-making piece for a formal and elegant look. Fabric is gathered into groups of two or three folds and sewn at the base for a tailored, timeless appearance.
● Specification: The Pinch Pleat-Double features 2 folds with 2x inbuilt fullness, and the Pinch Pleat-Triple features 3 folds with 2.5x inbuilt fullness. The standard pleat spacing
is 5", the return/overlap is 2.5", and the gathered pleats are sewn 4" below the top.
● Measurement: To determine the number of pleats you will need, divide the panel width by the 5" spacing and add 1. Measure the length starting from the bottom of the ring (approximately 2 inches below the rod top) down to the floor.
● Hardware Match: Fit for both rods and tracks. Pair them with clips or rings.
● Custom Options: Single pleats or custom pleat spacing can be provided by contacting support.
What to know:
- Free white adjustable hooks are included.
- Rods, tracks, rings, and clips must be ordered separately.
- The stack back width accounts for roughly 1/5 (or 15-20%) of the ordered drapery width.
- The stack-back depth projects 4 1/4 inches from the wall.
- For a flawless installation, the return (the distance from the front of the rod to the wall) should measure 2.5 to 3.5 inches, and the center overlap should measure 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
Designer Tips: To ensure your panels slide easily across the hardware, hang these with drapery rings that are at least 1/2" larger in diameter than your rod.
Tab Top
● The Look: Provides character for casual charm, meant for both rustic and transitional styles.
● Specification: Tabs measure 4" high by 1.57" wide and are tabbed every 6 1/2" of width.
● Measurement: Measure the panel length from the rod top to the floor. The 4" height of the tab is already included in the total panel length.
● Hardware Match: The 4" tab fits rods less than 2" in diameter.
● Custom Options: To add fullness, multiply your coverage width by 1.5-2x for folds
What to know:
- For rods thicker than 2.5", you may not be able to slide the fabric smoothly.
- When stacked back, the curtain width compresses to approximately 15-20% of
the ordered width.
Designer Tips: Designed specifically to style with curtains that don't open or close often, and well suited for sheer fabric
Ripple Fold
● The Look: The most wavy look ever, featuring permanent S-curves that will stay in hape perfectly.
● Specification: Available in 3 snap spaces: 4 1/4" tape (1.8x fullness, 3.5" depth), 5" tape (2.1x fullness, 4.5" depth), and 5 7/10" tape (2.4x fullness, 5.5" depth). The runner spacing is 2.36".
● Measurement: The panel width should equal the track width divided by the panel quantity. Measure the panel length from the track bottom to the floor.
● Hardware Match: Requires a track system. The default 2.36-inch runner and 5-inch tape fit 80% of tracks that are 3/4" in diameter.
● Custom Options: 60% fullness offers a shallow wave to minimize stackback, 80% offers soft restrained waves, 100% is the residential standard for consistent curves, and 120% offers deep dramatic waves.
What to know:
- The width you order represents the finished width after the ripples are created.
- The stacked width accounts for around 20-30% of the panel width.
- The stack-back depth projects 4 1/4 inches from the wall.
- Button tape must match button runners, and buckle tape must match buckle runners.
- If you have an existing track and runner system, getting in touch with support with images of your hardware and runner numbers will help ensure the tape matches your system.
Designer Tips: Because ripplefold systems use fixed carrier spacing, the wave depth is completely uniform and cannot be adjusted after fabrication.