Will new curtains match a fabric sample or existing curtains exactly?

A fabric sample shows the colour and texture of a fabric, but it is a small piece, which can be from a different batch. The curtain is made from a different, much larger piece. Small differences between the two are common, and they are a normal feature of how fabric is made.

Why colour can differ

• Dye lots. Fabric is dyed in batches, and the colour of many fabrics varies slightly from one batch to the next.
• Light. Colour looks different under daylight, warm lamps and cool lamps.
• Screens and printed charts. A screen or a printed colour chart does not show fabric colour accurately.
• Size and fold. A large curtain with folds shows light and shade that a flat sample does not.

When a difference shows

If a whole order is cut from one roll, there is usually no visible difference between the pieces. The difference shows more when pieces from different rolls sit side by side, or when new fabric hangs next to existing curtains that have faded or aged. Existing curtains change over time with sun and cleaning, so a new curtain in the same fabric can look brighter.

How to reduce the risk

1. Look at a physical sample, in the room where the curtain will hang, at different times of day.
2. Ask your retailer whether the sample is from the current batch, and what they can tell you about the batch your order will come from.
3. If the colour is important, tell your retailer before you order, and say if the new curtain has to sit next to an existing one.
4. Order all the curtains for one room together, and ask whether they will come from the same roll.
5. Do not rely on a photograph or a screen to judge colour.

If you are adding a curtain to a room that already has one, tell your retailer. A new curtain will not always match an old one exactly, even in the same fabric.

Speedy Blinds makes curtains, tracks and roller blinds for retailers. Your retailer holds the fabric details for your order and is the person to ask.