Free calculator · pinch, pencil & box pleats
Enter the rod width and pick a pleat style. Get the pleat count, the spacing, the fabric widths and a 1:1 ruler that marks every fold and seam.
| Pleat | Starts | Ends | Centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 1⁄2" | 8 7⁄8" | 6 1⁄8" |
| 2 | 12 7⁄8" | 18 1⁄8" | 15 1⁄2" |
| 3 | 22 1⁄8" | 27 1⁄2" | 24 7⁄8" |
| 4 | 31 1⁄2" | 36 7⁄8" | 34 1⁄4" |
| 5 | 40 7⁄8" | 46 1⁄4" | 43 1⁄2" |
| 6 | 50 1⁄4" | 55 1⁄2" | 52 7⁄8" |
| 7 | 59 1⁄2" | 64 7⁄8" | 62 1⁄4" |
| 8 | 68 7⁄8" | 74 1⁄4" | 71 1⁄2" |
| 9 | 78 1⁄4" | 83 5⁄8" | 80 7⁄8" |
| 10 | 87 5⁄8" | 92 7⁄8" | 90 1⁄4" |
…and 1 more in the PDF.
Print at 100%. Marks start at the overlap edge of the panel.
How it works
Measure the rod or track, then add the returns at the sides and the overlap in the middle.
Pinch, pencil or box. The style sets the fullness; you can still fine-tune it.
Print the ruler at 100%, check the test square and mark the folds along the header.
Worked example
Worked example
Result
Box pleats at 3× on the same rod need 11 pleats of 8 1⁄2" and the same 6 widths. In metric, a 200.0 cm rod takes 15.3 m (16 3/4 yd).
The math
Each panel is its share of the rod plus the return and overlap. Fullness turns that into flat fabric; the pleats take up everything the spaces don't.
Panel: 80" ÷ 2 + 3 1⁄2" + 3 1⁄2" = 47". Flat width: 47" × 2.25× + side hems = 111 3⁄4". That fits 11 pleats of 5 3⁄8" with 4" spaces, cut from 3 fabric widths per panel.
Tips
Joining seams should sit inside a pleat. The ruler marks each one in green so you can see where it lands.
Patterned fabric needs whole repeats per drop. The curtain fabric calculator rounds the drop for you.
Pencil pleats come from a gathering tape, so there is nothing to mark. You get the tape and fabric length instead.
Knife, box and inverted skirt pleats live in the pleat calculator, with its own 1:1 ruler.
Most pinch-pleat curtains use 2 to 2.5 times the panel width. We start at 2.25×. Pencil pleats use 2.5× and box pleats 3×.
The return wraps around the side of the rod to the wall. The overlap is where the two panels meet in the middle. Both add flat width to each panel.
Divide each panel's flat width by the usable fabric width and round up. In the example that is 3 widths per panel, 6 in total.
Inside a pleat, where the fold hides them. The calculator tells you whether each seam lands in a pleat or on a flat space, and the PDF marks it.
Yes. Print at 100% or Actual size, then measure the test square. If it matches, every fold mark is true to scale.
Free, private and printable. Your numbers never leave this page.
