Curtain Size Lab Search

LENGTHS GUIDE · REVIEWED SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Curtain Drop: What to Measure and Where to Start

Understand curtain drop, overall panel length, ring-eye measurements, track measurements, and pole-top measurements.

MEASURED WIDTHFINISHED DROP
Original proportional diagram. Use actual measurements; drawing is not to scale for a specific product.

SHORT ANSWER

Start here

Curtain drop is the vertical finished measurement from the heading’s specified hanging reference to the bottom edge. It is not automatically the window height, and it may not be identical to the product’s overall panel length.

Track exampleTop/runner reference
Pleated poleOften ring eye
EyeletOften pole top/panel top
EndpointSill to puddle

How to measure

  1. 01

    Measure the actual working rod or track width; if hardware is not installed, record the window-frame width and your planned side extensions separately.

  2. 02

    Measure the drop from the reference point stated for the selected heading—not from an unrelated edge of the window.

  3. 03

    Check whether a package contains one panel or a pair, then compare total flat fabric width rather than the label width alone.

  4. 04

    Recheck the selected product, tape, hooks, carriers, and fabric before ordering or cutting.

Why the top reference changes

A grommet panel wraps around a pole, while a pleated curtain may hang below a ring eye and a wave curtain below a carrier. Each shifts the fabric top.

Why the bottom reference changes

Sill, apron, floor clearance, break, and puddle are deliberate endpoints. Record the selected one beside the number.

Do not mix nominal and measured lengths

A retail label can be nominal and manufacturing tolerance can apply. Verify the actual finished product before repeating a large order.

Before you order or cut

Measure the actual window and selected product. Finished sizes, fullness, header take-up, hardware geometry, and manufacturer tolerances vary. Fabric can shrink, stretch, or behave differently by composition. Measurements do not guarantee fit, privacy, water containment, installation, load capacity, or structural safety. Use the selected product instructions, and have a professional workroom verify expensive custom-fabric orders.

SOURCE NOTES

What this page is based on

Measurements here combine mathematical results with labeled commercial conventions and design recommendations. Disagreements are kept as ranges rather than averaged into a false standard.

  1. Buying curtainsJohn Lewis & Partners · reviewed 2026-09-11

    Retailer/workroom guidance on pole extension, hanging references, sill/floor endpoints, ready-made metric ranges, and double fullness.

  2. BETYDLIG/RÄCKA/HUGAD buying guide — Measure your windowIKEA · reviewed 2026-09-11

    Primary manufacturer guide: add at least 6 in each side, add 6 in above, and use 2–2.5× rod width for panel planning.