Bring the right tools
Use a rigid tape measure suitable for the span, a way to record each reading and photographs showing the whole opening. Measure safely from a stable position; arrange a survey where the track is difficult to reach.
THE STUDIO CURTAINS PLANNING GUIDES
Measure once.
Specify clearly.
A step-by-step guide to the dimensions we need for made-to-measure acoustic and blackout curtains. Use centimetres or millimetres, and record the unit beside every measurement.
FRONT VIEWILLUSTRATIVE / NOT TO SCALE
Before you start ↓Track width ↓Single or pair ↓Finished drop ↓Overlaps & returns ↓Window recesses ↓Your checklist ↓
01 / THE DETAIL
Start with the track
and the heading.
Your curtain dimensions depend on where the track sits and how the heading connects to it. An existing, correctly fitted track provides a useful reference. For a new track, agree the proposed position before finalising production measurements.
Record what you measured
Name each opening and note whether dimensions are actual, proposed or taken from a drawing. Keep the original readings; do not round them up to whole metres.
Choose the finish first
Decide on floor-length, sill-length or another stopping point. Record the heading, lining, opening direction and where the curtain should stack.
Enter finished dimensions—not cut fabric sizes.
The configurator adds the selected fullness and making allowances. Do not add hems, multiply the width for pleats, or round your measurements up to the next metre. Whole-metre rounding applies to purchased material length, not your finished curtain dimensions.
02 / THE DETAIL
Measure the total
track coverage.
For a straight run, measure the agreed curtain coverage along the track from one outer coverage limit to the other. Record the track’s full physical length as well if end stops or other fittings make these different. Do not measure just the glass or the window frame.
If the track is not fitted, record the opening width and the proposed extension on each side. Extensions can provide space for open curtain stacks and help cover the window edges. Their size depends on the actual fabric, heading and available wall space.
ILLUSTRATIVE STRAIGHT TRACK200 + 50 + 50 = 300 cm
Window + left extension + right extension = total planned coverage.
For bends, bays, returns, overlap arms or a track running around a room, send a dimensioned plan. Do not reduce a shaped route to the straight distance between its ends.
FRONT VIEWILLUSTRATIVE / NOT TO SCALE
03 / THE DETAIL
One curtain or a pair?
Keep the full width.
Enter the total track coverage once, then choose the number of panels. The configurator assumes equal panels. The diagrams below use the same 300 cm track for both arrangements.
FRONT VIEWSILLUSTRATIVE / NOT TO SCALE
Single curtain
One panel covers the full run and usually stacks at one end. Tell us whether it opens to the left or right, viewed from inside the room facing the window.
A pair of curtains
Two equal panels meet at the centre and usually stack at opposite ends. On a 300 cm run, each covers approximately 150 cm before any separately agreed overlap or return.
Coverage width and fabric width are different.
At 100% fullness, the estimator uses twice the coverage width before making allowances: 300 cm coverage becomes 600 cm of flat fabric width across the set. It then works out whole fabric widths for each panel. Enter 300 cm, not 150 cm or 600 cm.
Unequal panels, offset openings and individual panel drops require a checked specification rather than the equal-panel online estimate.
04 / THE DETAIL
Measure the finished
curtain drop.
Finished drop is the distance from the agreed top edge of the fabric to the bottom hem. A glider eye, a curtain hook, the underside of the track and the fabric top are not always at the same height.
- Confirm the upper reference. Identify the fabric top for the chosen track, hook and heading. If you can only measure from the glider eye, record that reference and send a close-up photograph for us to confirm the offset.
- Measure the available height. Take readings at the left, centre and right from the same upper reference to the intended floor or sill level.
- Agree the clearance. Choose how far the finished hem should sit above that surface. Use the shortest available height if the curtain must clear the floor throughout; other positions may then show a larger gap.
ILLUSTRATIVE FLOOR-LENGTH EXAMPLE251 cm − 1 cm = 250 cm
Agreed fabric top to highest floor point, less chosen floor clearance, gives finished drop. In millimetres: 2510 − 10 = 2500 mm.
The 1 cm gap is an example, not a universal allowance. Floor finish, unevenness, movement and light-control requirements determine the agreed clearance. The configurator adds top and bottom making allowance separately.
FRONT VIEWILLUSTRATIVE / NOT TO SCALE
05 / THE DETAIL
Plan overlaps,
returns and light gaps.
Fabric light exclusion is only one part of blackout performance. Openings at the centre, sides, top and hem can admit light. Record these construction details separately from the basic width and drop.
PLAN VIEW / LOOKING DOWNILLUSTRATIVE / NOT TO SCALE
- Centre overlap
- The extra coverage where the two leading edges pass each other. This may use an overlap arm or separate track paths. The required amount is confirmed for the actual system.
- Side return
- The curtain turns back towards the wall at an end. Record the return path and where it finishes, including any obstruction from handles or a sill.
- Head and hem
- Discuss a suitable head treatment and the chosen bottom clearance. Check light paths from the room’s normal viewing or sleeping positions.
- Acoustic wall cavity
- The space behind the curtain affects the tested acoustic configuration. It is a separate design dimension; a mounting bracket’s projection alone does not define it for every folded assembly.
These details need a cutting-plan check.
The online estimate does not automatically add centre overlaps, side returns or shaped-track geometry. Keep the actual straight coverage measurement, describe the extra details in your enquiry and ask us to confirm the final quantity and price before ordering.
06 / THE DETAIL
Measure the recess.
Check the obstructions.
A window recess is the reveal around the glazing. Decide whether the curtain and track will sit inside that reveal or in front of the opening. An inside-recess curtain can have limited fold and stack space.
- Measure the opening width at the top, middle and bottom, and the height at the left, centre and right.
- Record all readings and highlight the smallest clear opening. Do not apply a generic track deduction yourself.
- Measure usable depth to handles, the sill, vents, blinds and any other projection. Check whether windows and doors can still open.
- For an outside-recess installation, record the wall space above and beside the opening, plus the proposed track position.
For wave or two separate curtain layers, confirm that the full folds can travel freely. A wall-to-track distance is not the same as usable space around the fabric.
Understand recessed ceiling tracks ↗FRONT + SIDE VIEWSILLUSTRATIVE / NOT TO SCALE
07 / THE DETAIL
Send a clear
measurement record.
Label photographs and measurements by room or opening. Send a front view, a side view of the proposed fixing area and a close-up of any existing track and gliders.
Opening & unitsRoom name, cm or mm, and actual or proposed measurements.
Width & dropTotal track coverage, physical track length, three height readings, upper reference and chosen clearance.
Panels & headingSingle or pair, opening direction, stack positions, pencil, wave or double pinch.
Extra geometryOverlaps, returns, recess depth, bends and projections.
Materials & supportFabric, colour, lining, existing track model and known fixing surface.
Project requirementsBlackout or acoustic brief, access, postcode and whether you need installation.
A quotation based on customer measurements remains subject to the agreed specification. For an uncertain fixing position, complex track or demanding light-control brief, discuss a site survey before final production dimensions are approved.
Common measuring questions.
Should I measure an old curtain?
Use the installed track and intended finished position as the primary reference. An old curtain may have stretched, shrunk or been made for a different heading. If it is useful as a reference, label its measurements separately.
Can I switch between centimetres and millimetres?
Yes. The configurator converts existing entries when you switch: 300 cm becomes 3000 mm. Use 0.1 cm or 1 mm precision and keep the unit on any notes or drawings you send.
Do I include sewing allowance in the drop?
No. Enter the finished cloth length. The estimator adds the top and bottom making allowance in its separate allowance settings.
Is it better to add extra width just in case?
Record the actual measurement. Unlabelled extra width can change the quantity, stack size and price. Describe any intended overlap, return or future extension separately so it can be designed and priced correctly.