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There are two kinds of overlay hinges. They are half overlay hinges and full overlay hinges. The overlay determines door positioning, cabinet accessibility, visual style, and whether doors will collide or leave awkward gaps.
In this article, Mingrun, a professional hinge manufacturer, explains what “overlay” means, contrasts half overlay and full overlay designs, explores compatible cabinet constructions, and offers practical guidance for specifying the correct hinge for each application.
What “Overlay” Means in Practice
“Overlay” describes how much of the cabinet face (or stile) a door covers when closed. It’s measured as the horizontal distance the door projects over the cabinet carcass or frame edge. Overlay values influence door-to-door spacing, reveal width, and the required hinge crank/mounting-plate geometry. For downstream manufacturers and specifiers, overlay is a primary input when selecting hinge arm design, cup drilling position, and plate height.
Half Overlay Hinge — Structure and Applications
A half overlay hinge is designed so that two adjacent doors can share a single cabinet partition or stile. Structurally, these hinges use a moderate arm crank offset: enough to partially cover the cabinet face, but not enough to fully conceal the stile. Typical characteristics and use cases:
- Overlay behavior: Each door overlaps the stile by a modest amount; combined, the two doors provide full coverage of the partition.
- Cabinet types: Primarily used on frameless (Euro-style) cabinets featuring shared interior partitions.
- Advantages: Efficient use of space; economical for multi-door runs; easier to balance reveal between doors.
- Considerations: Requires consistent cup drilling and plate heights to maintain even gaps; plate adjustability is important during installation.
Full Overlay Hinge — Structure and Applications
A full overlay hinge positions the door to nearly or completely cover the cabinet face or stile, yielding a seamless, modern appearance. These hinges feature a “straight” arm (0mm crank) to ensure the door sits as far toward the outer edge of the carcass as possible.
- Overlay behavior: Door sits flush or nearly flush over the cabinet face, minimizing visible stiles.
- Cabinet types: Favored for frameless (Euro-style) cabinets and contemporary designs where maximum access and clean lines are priorities.
- Advantages: Mechanically, the most stable design due to the straight-arm load path; offers the largest unobstructed opening and contemporary aesthetics.
- Considerations: While the arm is simpler, adjacent cabinets must be perfectly leveled to ensure uniform vertical lines across the facade.
Side-by-Side Overlay Comparison
| Aspect | Full Overlay | Half Overlay |
| Typical overlay | Large (15mm – 19mm+) | Modest (8mm – 12mm) |
| Best for | End panels or individual cabinets | Shared partitions (twin doors) |
| Hinge Arm Type | Straight Arm (0mm Crank) | Cranked Arm (approx. 9mm Crank) |
| Mechanical Stress | Lower (Direct load path) | Higher (Offset leverage) |
Cabinet Style Compatibility
Frameless cabinets
Frameless carcasses pair naturally with full overlay hinges to create broad, uninterrupted door faces. If you want a seamless look or maximum interior access, full-overlay hardware is typically the right choice.
Face-frame (framed) cabinets
Face-frame cabinets traditionally use half overlay hinges, especially when two doors share a central stile. The face-frame profile and reveal dictate how much overlay is feasible without causing collisions or awkward gaps.
Hybrid and modular systems
Many modern systems mix overlay types across the same kitchen—drawer banks with full-overlay doors, appliance cabinets with half-overlay panels. When mixing, ensure consistent cup drilling and standardized plate heights to preserve sightlines and function.
Manufacturing and Installation Implications
- Cup drilling and plate selection: Overlay value maps directly to cup center (C), crank offset (K), and plate height (P). Use the supplier’s dimensional data to compute the final door position.
- Adjustment range: Prefer hinges offering three-dimensional micro-adjustment to correct field tolerances without re-drilling.
- Structural strength: Note that high-crank hinges (Inset or Half-Overlay) experience higher torque at the pivot point. Ensure high-quality steel grades for these applications to prevent “door sag” over time.
- Inventory planning: Standardize around a core family—most B2B operations keep the 35 mm cup / 110° full-overlay and half-overlay variants as core SKUs, with special wide-angle or compact models as project items.
How to Choose: A Practical Checklist
- Determine desired aesthetic (seamless vs. visible stiles).
- Confirm cabinet construction (framed vs. frameless).
- Specify door thickness and target overlay in millimeters.
- Request hinge dimensional data (C, K, P) and verify with the formula Overlay = K + C – P.
- Choose hinges with adequate adjustment range and proven cycle life for the application.
Conclusion
Overlay selection is an engineering decision that affects appearance, usability, and long-term reliability. Use half overlay hinges when you need efficient shared-stile arrangements and cost-effective multi-door layouts; choose full overlay hinges for modern, seamless designs and maximum access. Always validate hinge geometry against your cabinet construction and test-fit samples before committing to bulk orders.
About Mingrun
Mingrun is a professional hinge manufacturer specializing in wholesale cabinet hinges and engineered custom cabinet hinge solutions for furniture and cabinetry brands worldwide. With deep expertise in overlay geometry, hinge mechanics, and material performance, we support frameless and face-frame applications with stable, adjustable, and long-cycle hardware—helping manufacturers achieve precise door alignment, clean aesthetics, and long-term reliability at scale.
