Most wrong-sized runners were not cut wrong — they were cut for a different lay than the table got. Here are the three, and what each changes.

Full-length with drops

The classic: down the centreline and over both ends, drops hanging straight.

Needs the table length plus two drops, weighted corners, and artwork that respects the fold line at each end.

Floating and centred

Stops short of the edges and shows the table — the modern lay for good wood.

Needs an exact cut, crisp hems all round, and nothing hanging — which makes the corners and hem the entire product.

Across the width

Place runners across two-tops and banquet seats — one strip per cover or pair.

Turns the runner into a table plan system, and changes the quantity maths completely.

Name the lay when you order

Table plus lay equals cut. Table alone equals a guess.

We ask; if a supplier does not, they are quoting a rectangle, not a runner.