Curtain heading styles
A heading is how the top of a panel attaches to the rod. It changes how the panel hangs and how it moves along the rod. In this test build, the heading you choose is recorded in your plan and changes no number, because heading effects on rod space are still to verify.
Test draft note: how much rod space each heading takes, and how each heading changes panel width on the rod, have not yet been checked against manufacturer documents. Those effects are still to verify before any live publication, so this test page gives definitions only, and no rod space number.
Headings, defined
| Heading | How it attaches | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Rod pocket | The rod passes through a pocket sewn at the top of the panel | Whether the pocket fits the rod diameter you have, checked against the product you buy |
| Ring top | Rings or clips at the top of the panel hang from the rod | Ring size and clip grip, checked against the product you buy |
| Grommet | Metal rings set into the top of the panel slide over the rod | Grommet size against rod diameter, checked against the product you buy |
| Pinch pleat | Pleats are pinched and held at the top of the panel, and the panel hangs from hooks or rings | Hook and ring fit, checked against the product you buy |
| Tailored pleat | A structured pleat is formed at the top of the panel, and the panel hangs from hooks or rings | Hook and ring fit, checked against the product you buy |
What this page does not claim
- It does not say how many inches of rod any heading takes, because that effect is still to verify.
- It does not say any heading is best for every room or every rod.
- It does not change any number in a planner in this test build.
Pinch pleat compared with grommet
Readers often ask which of these two headings to choose. A grommet heading slides over the rod on metal rings set into the panel. A pinch pleat heading is pinched and held at the top of the panel and hangs from hooks or rings. This test page does not say which is best, and it does not say how many inches of rod either heading takes, because rod space effects are still to verify. Choose by how you want the panel to move and hang, check the fit against the product you buy, and record the heading in a planner, where it changes no number in this test build.
Next step
Choose a heading in the bay window curtain planner, the sliding door curtain planner, or the multi-window wall curtain planner.