Use this calculator to make your pleats fall in the same place on the fabric's horizontal pattern repeat.

You should already know or have calculated your ideal Pleat Size, Fabric Horizontal Pattern Repeat, Finished Curtain Width, desired Fullness Ratio, Side Turn Allownace, Leading Edge and Return (left and right flap sizes) .

When calculating whether the fabric is suitable to pleat to pattern, the calculator will always target the finished curtain width entered value. (it may vary by a cm or so due rounding pleats/spaces to nearest 0.1cm). Next it will try and get the pleat size as near to ideal, consequently the fullness ratio is the last consideration.

The process is an iteration, where you will probably have to decide on a compromise between pleat size and fullness ratio.

We vary PLEAT SIZE and recalculate to find the best solution or indeed if the fabric is suitable to pleat to pattern..

How to Calculate your pleats

• If you haven't already done so, Fold a sample pleat to find what your ideal width of pleat is.
• Enter the following values in cms.
  • Ideal pleat size
  • Horizontal pattern repeat
  • Finished curtain width
  • Left flap width
  • Right flap width
  • Side turn allowance (value for one side)
• Then press CALCULATE:
• The results are in 2 columns, the first are the actual results, the second (greyer) are the next best to your ideal pleat size.
• The calculator draws a scale diagram for the first column, showing pleat size, space size and how many HPRs between pleats.
• If the fullness ratio and space size is not as required. Use the second column results as a guide to incresing or decreasing your pleat size and re-calculating.

See our PLEAT TO PATTERN REPEAT tutorial for more detail and examples of using the calculator.

NOTE: Not all fabric is suitable to pleat to pattern (especially horizontal pattern repeats over 30cm). Note there are ways to make the pattern fall on every other pleat with higher HPRs, see our PLEAT TO PATTERN REPEAT tutorial.