Guide
Wallpaper Drop Planner guide
Wallpaper is installed as strips, so square area alone can hide pattern-repeat and roll-end effects. This guide explains the planner's transparent drop and allocation method.
Problem
The planner turns wall width into a strip count, calculates each required cut length, aligns it to the chosen match mode, and allocates cuts to rolls under explicit remnant rules. It is a planning estimate, not installation advice.
Inputs
- Usable paper width and roll length from the product label.
- Pattern repeat and free, straight, or half-drop match mode.
- Top and bottom trim, cut-rounding increment, and minimum reusable end.
- Wall-segment width and height, optional openings, and remnant-reuse policy.
Confirm batch or dye-lot, packaging convention, match symbol, and installation instructions on the actual label.
Method
drop count = ceiling(wall width / paper width).- Height is sampled at each strip centre, allowing a level or sloped segment.
- Trim is added after any explicitly allowed opening credit.
- Free match rounds to the cut increment. Straight and half-drop first round to a full repeat, then to the cut increment.
- Cuts are placed into rolls in drop order; eligible previous ends may be reused when enabled.
Worked example
Use centimetres: paper width 52, roll length 1,000, repeat 64, straight match, 5 top trim, 5 bottom trim, 1 cut rounding, minimum reusable end 80, reuse on, conservative openings, and one level wall 260 wide by 240 high.
The wall needs five drops. Each needs 250 cm before matching, and a straight 64 cm repeat rounds each cut to 256 cm.
| Drops | 5 |
|---|---|
| Cut length per drop | 256 cm |
| Total cut length | 1,280 cm |
| Rolls | 2 |
| Purchased length | 2,000 cm |
| Unallocated length / rate | 720 cm / 36% |
| Reusable remainder | 720 cm |
Roll 1 holds three drops and leaves 232 cm; Roll 2 holds two and leaves 488 cm. The checked-in fixture verifies these values against the exact planner core.
Assumptions
Conservative opening mode gives no opening credit. Full-strip mode credits only an opening that covers a strip's complete horizontal footprint. Sloped heights are linearly interpolated at strip centres. “Unallocated” does not automatically mean disposable waste.
Limits
The planner does not inspect the label, motif, wall condition, paste method, batch, obstacles, damage allowance, stock, returns, or whether a remnant's pattern phase fits a later location. Confirm final quantities when cost or installation risk is material.
Common mistakes
- Using room area instead of finished strip geometry.
- Ignoring the product's repeat or match symbol.
- Mixing centimetres, inches, metres, or feet.
- Subtracting every opening even when it does not remove a full strip.
- Assuming every long roll end is reusable.
- Buying exactly the modeled number without an installation allowance.
FAQ
Does a window always save paper? No. Conservative mode gives no credit. Is unallocated length waste? Not necessarily; phase, damage, and sequence determine reuse. Do label instructions override this guide? Yes.
Use the planner
Open Wallpaper Drop Planner and enter the dimensions printed on the product label.
Sources
The manufacturers do not endorse this planner. These sources support general preparation concepts; the local fixture validates the example against the product code.