What is my cabinet overlay?

Your cabinet overlay is the distance a closed door overlaps the cabinet opening edge on the hinge side. On frameless cabinets, measure how far the door covers the side panel or shared partition edge. This is the number you match to hinge specifications when buying or replacing hardware Measuring Cabinet Door Overlay | Hardware Hut; Cabinet Hinge Overlay Sizes | Berta Store.

Overlay in context: face frame vs frameless, and common terms

• Face-frame cabinets: Overlay is measured from the inside edge of the face-frame opening to the door edge at the hinge side Hardware Hut.
• Frameless cabinets: Overlay is measured from the cabinet side (or partition) opening edge to the door edge. In frameless layouts, “full overlay” and “half overlay” describe applications, not one fixed dimension Full vs Half Overlay Explained | Berta Store.
• Inset doors sit inside the opening with no overlay; they require different hinges Berta Store.

Typical overlays on many face-frame cabinets are 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch, though European concealed-hinge systems support a broader range Hardware Hut.

How to measure your overlay step by step

Method A: the direct hinge-side measurement (recommended)

1. Close the door in its normal aligned position.
2. On the hinge side, place a small piece of low-tack tape on the cabinet front and mark exactly where the door’s outer edge lies.
3. Open the door and measure from the cabinet opening edge to your mark. That distance is the overlay at that point Hardware Hut; Cabinetdoors.com measurement guide.

Tip: Take the measurement near both hinges and record each value. A difference can indicate sag or misalignment that needs adjusting before you choose hardware Berta Store.

Method B: a quick cross-check using widths

For a single door centered over one opening with equal left/right coverage: Overlay on each side = (door width − opening width) ÷ 2. Use this as a check, not the primary method, because any offset door will skew the result Berta Store.

Special cases

• Two doors sharing a frameless partition: “Half overlay” describes this shared-partition application. Measure each door’s overlap onto the partition; it is not automatically a 1/2 inch value Berta Store.
• Face frame with a center stile: Measure each opening and door separately at the hinge side Hardware Hut.

Worked examples

• Single face-frame door: Opening is 17 inches wide and the existing door is 18 inches wide. Cross-check overlay each side = (18 − 17) ÷ 2 = 1/2 inch, which should match your direct measurement if the door is centered Berta Store.
• Two frameless doors on one 18 mm partition with a 2 mm planned center gap: The remaining 16 mm of partition is split equally, giving an illustrative 8 mm overlay per door (you must still choose a hinge, plate and drilling that achieve this in practice) Berta Store.

After you measure: match hinges correctly

Use your measured overlay to select a hinge that is specified for: 1) your cabinet construction (face frame or frameless), and 2) that overlay. On frameless cabinets, full and half overlay are different applications; on face frames, a numeric overlay (for example 1/2 inch) is a measured value. Don’t treat these labels as interchangeable Berta Store.

Overlay alone isn’t enough for a guaranteed fit. Also confirm cup diameter and depth, cup-to-edge boring distance, the correct mounting plate and its height, door thickness, and required reveals/opening clearance for the chosen hardware Berta Store.

Quick definitions you’ll see while shopping

• Full overlay (frameless application): The door covers most of the cabinet side-panel edge. Exact gap depends on hinge, plate and drilling Berta Store.
• Half overlay (frameless application): Two adjacent doors share a partition; each covers part of that edge. Not a fixed 1/2 inch size Berta Store.
• Common face-frame overlays: Often 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch, though some systems use larger values. Always measure your own cabinets Hardware Hut.

FAQ

Is half overlay the same as a 1/2 inch overlay?

No. Half overlay usually describes two frameless doors sharing a partition. A 1/2 inch overlay is a specific measured overlap on a face-frame door. Don’t equate the two when selecting hardware Berta Store.

Where should I take the measurement on a face-frame cabinet?

Measure from the inside edge of the face-frame opening to the door edge on the hinge side, with the door closed Hardware Hut; Cabinetdoors.com.

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