By Heading style sets the mood of a room, but it also quietly decides how much glass and floor space the curtains swallow when they’re open. That affects the view, the daylight, and how comfortably people walk past a sliding door with an armful of shopping. Anyone planning to include luxurious custom curtains for a new build, interior design, or renovation should settle this early, because the gap between a wave heading and a chunky eyelet can be 150mm of lost glass per side. A curtain visualiser is a great tool for seeing this in action! Reputable curtain installation services raise stack-back at site measure, and high-end window treatments are always crafted with those numbers on the table.
What Stack-Back Means
Stack-back is the horizontal space a curtain occupies when it’s fully drawn open. It’s driven by three things: the heading style, the fullness ratio, and the fabric’s bulk. A tight, evenly spaced heading folds into a slim column. A deep, rounded heading needs more room to breathe.
The fix is simple in theory. Extend the track or pole past the window reveal so the stacked fabric sits on the wall rather than across the glass. In practice, that only works if someone calculates the stack before the track goes up.
S-Fold and Wave Fold: The Slimmest Stack
S-fold (also called wave or ripple fold) runs on a track with carriers at fixed spacings, usually 60mm or 80mm. The fabric forms a continuous, uniform ripple with no hard pleat at the top.
At 60mm spacing and 2x fullness, expect roughly 130mm to 180mm of stack per metre of track. On a 3m track, that’s about 450mm to 550mm in total, or 225mm to 275mm each side on a centre split. The 80mm spacing gives a deeper, softer wave and pushes the stack closer to 200mm per metre.
S-fold suits contemporary interiors, ceiling recesses and sheers beautifully. It’s the go-to when the view matters more than the fabric.
Pinch Pleat: Tailored and Slightly Deeper
Triple pinch pleat sits at 2x to 2.5x fullness and stacks around 200mm to 250mm per metre. A 3m track lands at 600mm to 750mm total. Those extra centimetres buy a crisp, structured look that works with heavier linens, wools and traditional joinery. Double pleats trim the stack slightly and cost less in fabric, which is worth considering on wide openings.
Eyelet: Casual Look, Chunky Folds
Eyelet custom curtains thread onto a pole, so the fold depth follows the pole diameter and the eyelet spacing. The rounded folds are generous, and they don’t compress the way a track-based heading does. Budget 220mm to 280mm per metre, or 660mm to 840mm on a 3m opening.
Eyelet also can’t return to the wall, so light spills down both sides. It’s a relaxed, affordable option rather than a performance one.
Quick Comparison
| Heading Style | Typical Fullness | Stack Per Metre | Total Stack |
| S-fold, 60mm | 2x | 130 to 180mm | 450 to 550mm |
| S-fold, 80mm | 2x | 160 to 200mm | 500 to 600mm |
| Pinch pleat, triple | 2 to 2.5x | 200 to 250mm | 600 to 750mm |
| Eyelet | 2 to 2.2x | 220 to 280mm | 660 to 840mm |
| Pencil pleat | 2.5x | 250 to 300mm | 750 to 900mm |
Fabric Weight Changes the Maths
These figures assume a mid-weight fabric, but there are loads of fabric weight options like sheer curtains and blockouts. A three-pass blockout with a thermal backing can add 20% to 30% to the stack. Fine sheers compress well and often come in under the range. Lined and interlined drapes sit at the deep end.
Heavier, well-sealed high-end window treatments with a pelmet or recessed handles are far better than a light unlined panel, so it’s worth allowing the extra stack space in rooms that are very hot or need strong light control.
Protecting the View and the Walkway
Two practical rules help here.
First, extend the track 250mm to 300mm past each side of the reveal on a standard window, more on wide sliders. That keeps the glass clear.
Second, watch the floor. AS 1428.1 sets 1000mm as the minimum width for a continuous accessible path of travel. A 300mm stack projecting into a 1200mm hallway or across a doorway threshold creates a genuine pinch point, especially with heavy interlined fabric.
Choosing the Right Heading Style With Expert Curtain Installation Services
There’s no single winner; it’s more about finding luxurious, custom-made curtains that suit your space and style. S-fold protects the view, pinch pleat delivers tailored polish, and eyelet keeps things relaxed and budget-friendly. The right answer depends on the opening width, the fabric, and how the room gets used every day. Working with a specialist in high-end window treatments and curtain installation services means the stack-back gets calculated before the curtains are even made, not discovered afterwards.