In a nutshell:
The Standard Roll lets the material sit closer to the window, with the roll exposed and the material falling off the back.
The Reverse Roll allows your material to fall off the front of the roll, keeping the roll concealed when the shade is drawn, creating a gap between the shade and the window.
Why standard roll is better— (a) it allows less light to seep in around the sides of the window, and (b) has better insulation properties since there’s less air gap between the shade and window.
Why reverse roll is better— it conceals the workings of the shade and provides additional clearance, giving your windows a sleek and minimal look.
A Little History...
When roller shades took off as a standard window treatment in the 50s, air conditioning was not yet common in the average home. People would leave their windows open for some time and dust accumulated on the top of shades, leaving a visible dirty line across the fabric.
If the dust layer were on the back side, it would be less noticeable. Hence, the back roll became the “standard” way to roll the shade.
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