Curtain fullness explained
Fullness is total panel width divided by rod length. If the rod length is 120 inches and the total panel width is 240 inches, the fullness is 2x. That is arithmetic, not a recommendation for your room.
Test draft note: what each fullness ratio looks like, and which ratio fits which fabric or room, have not yet been checked against manufacturer documents. Those claims are still to verify before any live publication, so this test page gives no recommended ratio and no look description as fact.
How fullness changes a plan
| What changes | What happens in the arithmetic |
|---|---|
| You raise the ratio you enter | Total panel width rises, because total panel width equals rod length times the ratio you enter. |
| You lower the ratio you enter | Total panel width falls, for the same reason. |
| Panel width you want to buy stays the same | Panel count rises when total panel width rises, and falls when it falls, because panel count is total panel width divided by panel width wanted, rounded up. |
Worked arithmetic example
Rod length 120 inches, ratio 2: total panel width 240 inches. With a panel width wanted of 50 inches, panel count is 240 divided by 50, rounded up, which is 5 panels, each 48 inches wide in the plan. Rod length 120 inches, ratio 1.5: total panel width 180 inches. With a panel width wanted of 40 inches, panel count is 180 divided by 40, rounded up, which is 5 panels, each 36 inches wide in the plan. These are arithmetic examples only. They do not say which ratio looks right or fits your fabric.
What fullness does not fix
- A wrong rod length, because fullness multiplies whatever rod length you entered.
- A wrong panel length, because length drops are still to verify and are not calculated in this test build.
- A door blocked by panels, because stack space and door clearance are entered separately in the sliding door planner.
Doubts readers raise
How much fullness do I need? This test page gives no recommended ratio, because what each ratio looks like and which ratio fits which fabric or room are still to verify. What it does give is the arithmetic: pick a ratio yourself, and the planner works out total panel width, panel count, and panel width from it, so you can compare two ratios on the same rod length before you buy.
How many curtain panels do I need? Divide total panel width by the panel width you want to buy, and round up. For a worked case, rod length 120 inches, ratio 2, total 240 inches, panel width wanted 50 inches gives 5 panels, each 48 inches wide in the plan. That count is arithmetic on your own numbers, not a recommendation.
Will more fullness fix thin fabric, a wrong length, or a blocked door? No. Fullness multiplies whatever rod length you entered, it does not fix a wrong rod length, it does not fix a length drop that is still to verify, and it does not set stack space and door clearance, which are entered separately in the sliding door planner.
Next step
Choose a ratio yourself and use the bay window curtain planner, the sliding door curtain planner, or the multi-window wall curtain planner.