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Short answer
Dimout curtains are made from a denser, heavier weave than a sheer. They give full privacy day and night and cut most glare, but let a soft glow of daylight through, so the room never feels shut in. They are the everyday curtain for living rooms, dining rooms and home offices. How dark a dimout gets depends on its colour and weight, and a blackout lining makes any dimout fully dark.
What dimout means
Dimout, sometimes sold as room-darkening, describes how much light a curtain lets through, not what it is made of. A dimout is woven densely enough that you cannot see through it, day or night, but it has no coating or blackout layer, so some daylight still passes through the cloth as a soft glow.
It sits between a sheer, which lets most light in, and a blackout, which blocks almost all of it. See Blackout vs Dimout vs Sheer for the three compared side by side.
How much light does a dimout block?
There is no single figure, because two things change it a lot: colour and weight.
| Dimout | In daylight | Feel of the room |
|---|---|---|
| Pale (ivory, white, sand) | Glows brightly, almost like a heavy sheer | Light and airy, with full privacy |
| Mid-tone (grey, taupe, sage) | A gentle, even glow | Calm; glare well cut |
| Dark (navy, charcoal, forest) | Much darker; only a little light | Close to room-darkening |
| Heavier weave | Less light than a light weave of the same colour | Fuller folds, more muffled light |
Tip
Hold a sample against a sunny window, then cup it to your eye like a lampshade. What you see is roughly how the curtain will glow when closed. Compare two colours of the same collection; the difference can be large.
Where dimout works best
| Room | Why dimout | Pair with |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | Privacy and glare control without a dark room | A sheer on a double track |
| Dining room | Soft light for meals, privacy at night | A sheer, or on its own |
| Home office | Cuts screen glare, keeps daylight | A sheer for bright mornings |
| Bedroom, if you like waking to daylight | Privacy and a gentle morning | A blackout lining if you want it darker |
| Condo sliding doors | Privacy from neighbours without losing the view light | S-fold on a ceiling track |
For full darkness, such as nurseries, shift workers or home cinemas, choose a blackout instead, or line the dimout.
Making a dimout darker
- Blackout lining. Sewn to the back of the dimout, it keeps the face fabric's colour and texture and adds full darkness. The POSH Creation LINER is a 100 gsm blackout lining, 280 cm wide. See Curtain Lining.
- Darker colour. A mid or dark tone dims far more than a pale one.
- Ceiling track and floor length. Most light in a room comes round the edges, not through the cloth.
- A second layer. A sheer in front softens the glow further and adds daytime privacy.
Dimout designs in the JOTEX range
Dimout is the largest part of the JOTEX catalogue, which makes it the easiest place to find a colour and a pattern.
| Design | Collections |
|---|---|
| Plain | LAUREN (about 225 gsm, 300 cm wide, 68 colourways), COMO (about 280 gsm, 320 cm wide, 20,000 rubs), CORA, ASTER, ULTRA, ZINC |
| Stripe | DANI, LEXI, REGENT, POSH Creation ROME |
| Check | OCEAN, POSH Creation ATLANTIC |
| Herringbone | CALBY |
| Floral and geometric | LIBERTY floral, AMELIA geometric, MOSS graphical |
| Texture | PEMA |
| POSH Creation | ALASKA, ARMANI, CASPIAN, MELA, MISIA, OREGON |
The wide widths, 300 cm and more on many plains, let curtain makers make floor-to-ceiling curtains with no joins.
Headings and fullness
Dimouts are medium-weight and suit every common heading: S-fold at about 1.8 to 2.2 times the track width, French pleat at about 2.5 times, and eyelet at about 1.5 to 2 times. See How to Measure for Curtains to work out the fabric.
Caring for dimout curtains
Most polyester dimouts can be machine-washed cool on a gentle cycle if the care label allows. Hang them back up while slightly damp so the creases drop out. Lined dimouts are safer dry-cleaned, because the face and lining can shrink differently. See How to Wash Curtains.
JOTEX dimout collections
Every dimout in the JOTEX and POSH Creation ranges, updated from the catalogue. See the dimout fabric page.
ALASKA
ARMANI
COMO
CORA
DANI
GLAVIN
INDIGO
KAYLA
KENDLE
LEXI
LIBERTY
LYNN
MELA
MISIA
OREGON
PEMA
RANEY
REGENT
ROME
SANARA
ULTRA
Frequently asked questions
Do dimout curtains block light?
They reduce it a lot but not completely. A dimout cuts glare and gives full privacy, while a soft glow of daylight still comes through the cloth. Darker colours and heavier weaves let through less.
Can you see through dimout curtains at night?
No. Unlike a sheer, a dimout is dense enough to give privacy at night with the lights on inside, though a glow of the room light may show from outside.
Is dimout good for a bedroom?
Yes, if you like waking to some daylight. For a fully dark room, choose blackout, or add a blackout lining to the dimout.
Which dimout colour is darkest?
Dark colours such as navy, charcoal and deep green dim the most. Pale ivories and whites glow brightly when the sun is on them.
Do dimout curtains reduce heat?
Somewhat. They block more sun heat than a sheer but less than a coated blackout. A lining adds more insulation.
Can dimout curtains be washed?
Most polyester dimouts can be machine-washed cool on a gentle cycle if the care label allows. Lined curtains are safer dry-cleaned.
Curtain maker, upholsterer or designer?
Specifications are public on every collection page. JOTEX dealers can log in for live stock and pricing, and our team can send samples or open a dealer account.