How much roll length do I need?

Plan fabric, vinyl and film by the length of roll used, and why placing pieces side by side matters.

With roll goods you pay for length, so the question is how far down the roll the last piece ends. Place pieces side by side across the width wherever they fit, and the length you use is the length of each row added together.

An example

You need two pieces 55″ wide and 80″ long from a 120″-wide roll. Cut one after the other, they use 160″ of roll. Side by side they take 110″ of the width and only 80″ of length, half the material.

Dividing area by roll width does not give the answer either. The two pieces are 8,800 square inches; divided by 120″ that is about 73″, a length no layout can reach, because neither piece is shorter than 80″.

Direction matters

Many roll goods have a direction: nap on velvet, a print, a stretch. A piece that has to run along the roll cannot be turned to fit a row, so check which pieces may rotate before you plan. See grain and rotation.

Doing it with NestSmart

Enter the roll as stock with its width, add your pieces, and choose Least roll length as the priority. NestSmart places pieces across the width and reports the length of roll consumed, so you can see how much to cut from the roll before you start.