Curtain heading tapes: pencil pleat, flat pleat, twin and wave

Pleats do not form by themselves. The heading tape sewn along the top edge decides them: its pockets, its cords and the fullness printed on it set how many pleats there are, how they sit and how much fabric the curtain needs. This guide covers what a tape is made of, how pencil pleat, flat pleat, twin and wave tapes differ, and how the tape chooses the track. The kinds of heading and the curtain lengths have guides of their own, linked below.

What is a heading tape and how does it work?

A tape is a strip with rows of pockets and one or more cords running through it. It is sewn along the top of the curtain. When the cords are pulled, the tape shortens and the fabric sewn to it gathers into pleats until it matches the track length. The cord ends are then secured, hooks are pushed into the pockets, and the curtain is hung from the gliders of a track or the rings of a pole.

The tape itself fixes the spacing and depth of the pleats: the distances between its pockets and between the points where the cords are anchored do not change. So different tapes turn the same fabric into different tops. A ratio printed on the tape, 1:2 for example, says how many times wider the fabric is than the track.

A tape is not the same as dressing the curtains. The tape holds the pleats with cords; arranging the folds by hand after hanging is covered in the guide to curtain draping.

How do pencil pleat, flat pleat, twin and wave tapes differ?

The difference is the layout of the pockets and the number of cords. The table sets four tapes side by side; the fullness figures are the same as in the guide to length and fullness.

How does a wave heading work?

A wave heading has three parts: a tape with pockets, a glider cord and the gliders in a ceiling track. The cord is threaded through the pockets, its loops are hooked onto the gliders, and the gliders sit at equal spacing along the track. So the gliders set the spacing of the waves, and the amount of fabric sets their depth.

• —A wave heading takes 2.0× the track length in fabric, and one wave is about 8–10 cm deep.
• —In a ceiling recess, leave 20–25 cm of depth for a wave heading: more than for other headings.
• —On a tubular pole a wave heading does not form: it needs a track with gliders.
• —A wave heading suits a motorised track for the same reason: the gliders sit at equal spacing, so the motor draws the curtain evenly.

How much fabric do you need, and what does the ratio on the tape mean?

The fabric width is the track length multiplied by the tape's ratio, plus an allowance for the sides. A 3 m track with a 2.0× tape needs 6 m of fabric width, for example. A lower ratio means fewer pleats and less fabric; a higher one means closer, deeper pleats and more fabric. When the curtain is taller than the roll is wide, the fabric has to be turned to run in widths, which takes more still.

How do you choose a tape for your track and fabric?

1. 1Track: decide first whether the curtains hang from a ceiling track or a pole. A wave heading suits a track with gliders only.
2. 2Fabric: a light sheer takes closer pleats (pencil pleat, wave); a heavier fabric takes pleats set further apart and deeper (a pinch-pleat heading).
3. 3Look: pencil pleat is closer and finer, pinch pleat is grouped with flat gaps, wave is the smoothest.
4. 4Fabric amount: work out the fabric width from the ratio of the tape you chose, and check that it fits the roll width.
5. 5Detail: settle the heading with the designer during the measuring visit. The designer brings fabric samples and shows how the chosen fabric hangs.