Cabinet Hinge Overlay Chart: Measure What You Have, Order the Right Cup Hinge
Open a door and measure how far it laps over the carcass edge on the hinge side. That one number picks everything: 19 mm of overlay means a full-overlay hinge on a 0 mm plate, 16 mm means the same hinge on a 3 mm plate, and every 3 mm of plate height removes 3 mm of overlay. Bore the 35 mm cup 21.5 mm in from the door edge, 12.5 mm deep.
Close the door, then measure how much of the carcass edge it covers on the hinge side. That single dimension is the overlay, and it selects the hinge.
On a frameless cabinet with a standard 21.5 mm bore distance, 19 mm of overlay is a full-overlay hinge arm on a 0 mm plate. Each 3 mm you add to the plate height takes 3 mm off the overlay, so a 3 mm plate gives 16 mm, a 6 mm plate gives 13 mm and a 9 mm plate gives 10 mm. Below that you change the hinge arm rather than the plate: a half-overlay cranked arm on a 0 mm plate gives about 9.5 mm, and an inset arm gives zero.
If the door sits fully inside the opening with a gap all round, you have inset, and no amount of plate swapping will get a full-overlay hinge there.
Taking the measurement so it is actually right
Two ways, and both take a minute.
The direct way: open the door 90 degrees, hook a tape or a rule on the inside face of the door at the hinge edge, and measure across to the outside face of the cabinet side. That distance is the overlay.
The subtraction way, which is better on a run of doors: measure the cabinet opening width and the door width. Subtract the opening from the door, then divide by two on a single door, or by two after also subtracting the centre gap on a pair. A 600 mm door on a 568 mm opening with two hinged edges gives (600 minus 568) divided by 2, so 16 mm of overlay per side.
On a face-frame cabinet, measure to the frame, not the carcass. The frame is what the door laps and the frame edge is what the hinge references. American face-frame overlays are usually quoted in fractions: 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4 and 1 1/4 in are the common ones, and the 1/2 in overlay compact hinge is by a distance the most-sold hinge in that world.
Overlay to hinge, plate and bore
Measured overlay Hinge arm type Mounting plate height Bore centre from door edge Typical reveal you end up with Face-frame equivalent 22 mm / 7/8 in Full overlay 0 mm 19.5 to 20 mm 3 mm 1 1/4 in overlay compact hinge 19 mm / 3/4 in Full overlay 0 mm 21.5 mm 3 mm 3/4 in overlay compact hinge 16 mm / 5/8 in Full overlay 3 mm 21.5 mm 3 mm 5/8 in overlay 13 mm / 1/2 in Full overlay 6 mm 21.5 mm 3 mm 1/2 in overlay, the face-frame default 10 mm / 3/8 in Full overlay 9 mm 21.5 mm 3 mm 3/8 in overlay 9.5 mm Half overlay (cranked arm) 0 mm 21.5 mm 3 mm 3/8 in half overlay, twin doors on one partition 6.5 mm / 1/4 in Half overlay 3 mm 21.5 mm 3 mm 1/4 in overlay 3.5 mm Half overlay 6 mm 21.5 mm 3 mm Rarely specified; check the door widths instead 0 mm (door inside the opening) Inset 0 mm 21.5 mm 2 to 3 mm all round Inset compact hinge, usually on a 1/2 in plate Find your measured overlay in the first column and order straight across. If your figure falls between two rows, use the hinge for the larger overlay and move the bore outward 1 mm for every 1 mm you need to lose. That top row deserves a warning. A 35 mm cup bored 19.5 mm from the edge leaves only 2 mm of door material at the edge, which will blow out on MDF and on any veneered door with a thin lipping. If you need more than about 20 mm of overlay on a 19 mm door, use a 26 mm cup hinge instead and accept the lower load rating.
The figures assume a Blum-pattern hinge geometry, which most of the major brands follow closely. Hettich, Grass and Salice sit within a millimetre or two on the same bore distance, but their plate designations are not always interchangeable. Mixing brands within a single cabinet run is how you end up with two doors that will not line up no matter how far you turn the adjusters.
The 35 mm bore, written out as a set of numbers
Set the drill press once and the whole run bores identically. These are the dimensions to set it to.
Dimension Standard value Range you can work in What happens if you move it Cup diameter 35 mm 26 mm and 40 mm cups also exist 26 mm cup for doors under 14 mm thick or stiles under 40 mm Cup depth 12.5 mm 11.5 to 13.5 mm Deeper than 13 mm on a 16 mm door and the cup screws break the face Bore centre from door edge 21.5 mm 20 to 24 mm Each 1 mm outward reduces the overlay by 1 mm Door edge material left at 21.5 mm 4.0 mm 2.5 mm at 20 mm bore, 6.5 mm at 24 mm Under 3 mm the cup blows out the edge on MDF Cup screw hole spacing 45 mm apart Fixed per brand Offset 9.5 mm from the cup centreline on the common pattern First hinge centre from door top and bottom 75 to 100 mm 70 to 120 mm Closer to the end stiffens a tall door, weakens a mitred frame Minimum stile width for a 35 mm cup 45 mm 40 mm at a push Under 40 mm, drop to a 26 mm cup or a slim-arm hinge Plate hole spacing, 32 mm system 32 mm Fixed First hole 37 mm back from the front edge of the carcass side Write these on a card and tape it inside the drill press guard. Set a 35 mm Forstner with a 12.5 mm depth stop and the fence at 21.5 mm from the door edge, and every door in the kitchen bores the same. Use a Forstner, not a spade bit and not a hole saw. The cup needs a flat bottom and a clean rim, and the two shallow screw holes have to be square to the face or the hinge sits proud and the door will not sit flat when closed.
Clamp a backer under the door if the stile is thin. A 35 mm cup at 12.5 mm depth in a 19 mm door leaves 6.5 mm of material behind it, which is enough to hold but not enough to survive a bit that grabs on the way out.
Opening angle, which most people over-buy
110 degrees is the standard and it is right for the overwhelming majority of doors. It clears a drawer box behind the door in a standard base cabinet and it does not swing so far that the door hits the wall.
95 to 100 degree hinges exist for thick doors, for inset applications and for doors that would otherwise hit an adjacent handle or a wall return. They also reduce the strain on the hinge because the arm travels less.
155 and 165 degree hinges are for blind corner cabinets and for anything with a pull-out that has to clear the door completely. They cost more, they need more clearance behind the door, and they are the wrong answer to a door that only feels tight because the pull is too big.
Zero-protrusion hinges are the specific solution for a door beside a wall or beside a tall unit, where a conventional hinge would swing the door edge outward and jam it against the neighbour. If you have a door in that position, buy the right hinge rather than accepting a door that only opens to 60 degrees.
How many hinges, and where
Door height Doors up to 600 mm wide Wide, solid timber or glazed doors Placement Up to 900 mm (35 in) 2 2 75 to 100 mm from each end 900 to 1,600 mm (35 to 63 in) 3 3 Third hinge at the midpoint 1,600 to 2,000 mm (63 to 79 in) 4 4 Even spacing, or the extra pair nearer the top 2,000 to 2,400 mm (79 to 94 in) 5 5 Even spacing; check the plate screws hit solid material Any height, door over 20 mm thick or over 9 kg Add one Add one Extra hinge in the upper half where the load is Any height, glass or mirrored door Add one Add one Use glass-specific hinges rather than clamping the panel Count hinges from the heavier of the two conditions, height or weight. An extra hinge costs a few pounds and stops a tall door dropping at the top corner six months in. Face frame is a different problem wearing the same clothes
The hinge cup is identical: 35 mm bore, 12.5 mm deep, same bore distance. What changes is what the arm attaches to.
Compact hinges (the 38N and 39C families and their equivalents) screw straight to the inside face of the face frame and come pre-set to a specific overlay, typically 1/2 in, with about 1/8 in of adjustment either way. Simple, cheap, and 100 to 107 degrees of opening.
Face-frame adapter plates let you use a standard frameless hinge arm on a framed cabinet. More adjustment, more parts, more cost, and the option of a 110 or 155 degree arm.
Whichever you choose, the frame has to be wide enough. A 1 1/2 in stile is comfortable; a 1 1/4 in stile with a 1/2 in overlay leaves very little meat for the plate screws, and a 1 in stile means you are hunting for a slim plate.
One trap worth knowing: on a framed cabinet with a partial overlay, the door does not reference the carcass at all. If the frame is not flush with the carcass side, and on older cabinets it frequently is not, measuring to the carcass gives you an overlay figure that is wrong by however far the frame stands proud.
Three screws, three adjustments, one order
Cup hinges adjust in all three axes and the adjustments interact, so do them in sequence and do the whole run at once.
Depth first, the screw nearest the cup on most designs. It moves the door in and out from the carcass and sets how tight the door closes against the edge. Get the door sitting flat and closing without a bounce.
Side to side second, the screw nearest the plate. This is the overlay adjustment and it is what evens up the gap between a pair of doors. Aim for a 3 mm reveal and check it at the top and bottom, not just at the handle.
Height last, at the mounting plate, either via slotted screw holes or a cam depending on the plate. Height changes should be made with both hinges loosened together, then re-tightened from the top down.
If you run out of adjustment, the answer is almost never a different hinge. It is a bore in the wrong place, a plate at the wrong height, or a carcass that is out of square, and swapping in another hinge just moves the problem.
Check these before you place the order
- Door thickness. Standard cup hinges want 16 to 22 mm. Thicker than 24 mm and you need a hinge specified for it.
- Door material. MDF takes cup hinges well on the face but poorly at the edge; a 21.5 mm bore is the minimum you should consider and 22.5 mm is safer.
- Whether you need soft close built in or as a clip-on damper. Built-in is neater, clip-on lets you retrofit without new hinges.
- Plate fixing: system screws into 5 mm holes on the 32 mm system, or euro screws straight into the carcass. Confirm which your cabinet is drilled for.
- Cup fixing: screw-on is universal, press-in dowels are faster but need a 8 mm dowel hole either side of the cup and a press or a mallet block.
- Corner and blind cabinets. Order those hinges separately and early; the 165 degree and zero-protrusion versions are the ones that are never in stock when you need them.
- Buy two spare hinges and one spare plate per kitchen. You will drop one, and matching a hinge two years later is a miserable afternoon.