Full Overlay, Half Overlay and Inset Hinges: Cabinet Hinge Types Explained

December 15, 2025

The mounting type of a concealed cup hinge defines how the cabinet door sits relative to the carcass side panel when closed. With a full overlay, the door covers the side panel completely. With a half overlay, two doors share a central partition panel, meaning they cover only half of it. With an inset application, the door sits completely flush inside the cabinet frame.

What Exactly Are Cabinet Hinge Mounting Types?

Choosing the correct mounting type is essential when designing or repairing cabinet furniture. It determines the position of the door in relation to the furniture carcass and directly affects the reveal gap. The key component for this is the concealed cup hinge.

Technically speaking, the mounting type is defined by the cranking of the hinge arm. The cranking describes the bend or offset of the hinge arm. The hinge arm acts much like a human elbow – its bend determines how far the door reaches over the cabinet edge or stays back. Depending on the cranking, the overlay area of the door on the carcass side changes. When replacing or fitting new concealed cup hinges / cabinet hinges, the cranking must match the cabinet construction exactly.

The Three Variants in Detail

Full Overlay (Standard Overlay)

The full overlay mounting is used for standard single or exterior cabinet doors. When closed, the door covers almost the entire front edge of the carcass side panel. Only a small gap reveal remains towards the edge so the door does not scrape against the carcass when opening. Hinges for full overlay usually have a straight hinge arm with a cranking of 0 mm. Suitable fittings: full overlay concealed hinges.

Half Overlay (Dual / Twin Door)

The half overlay mounting is required when two doors are fixed to a single central partition panel (intermediate side) of the cabinet. Because both doors require space on the front edge of the typically 16 mm or 19 mm thick chipboard panel, each door must only cover half of it. A visible gap is created between the two doors. The hinge arm on these hinges has a slight bend, and the cranking is usually 9.5 mm. Suitable fittings: half overlay concealed hinges.

Inset (Flush Fitting Door)

With an inset mounting, the door does not sit over the front edge of the carcass, but instead sits flush between the side panels, top panel, and base panel. The front edges of the cabinet carcass remain fully visible when the door is closed. To achieve this position, the hinge arm is sharply cranked upwards. Standard cranking here is 15 mm or 16 mm. Suitable fittings: inset concealed hinges.

Dimensions, Standards, and Typical Values

Standardised measurements play an important role when fitting and selecting hardware:

Cup drilling diameter: The standard diameter for the hole drilled into the door is 35 mm. Smaller variants (for example, for lightweight display cabinet doors) use 26 mm. Matching 35 mm concealed hinges are the standard in modern furniture construction.
Drilling depth: The cup typically requires a recess depth of 11 mm - 13 mm.
Opening angle: The standard for conventional cabinet doors is 110 degrees. If wider access is required, wide-angle hinges are used.
Standard: 110-degree concealed cup hinges / cabinet hinges
Wide angle: 155-degree concealed cup hinges / cabinet hinges

Application and Selection

The decision between full overlay, half overlay, or inset mounting is made during the furniture planning stage. When replacing broken or worn hinges, you must check the existing cranking. An incorrectly chosen hinge will cause the door to not close properly or collide with adjacent cabinet fronts.

For smooth and quiet motion, modern hinges are usually fitted with integrated soft-close damping. This technology slows the door down just before closing, pulling it gently and silently against the carcass. Suitable fittings: concealed cup hinges / cabinet hinges with damping (Soft Close).

The exact alignment of the door is carried out after installation using the cross mounting plate. Modern hinges provide 3D adjustment, allowing height, depth, and side overlay (reveal gap) to be adjusted within a range of +/- 2 mm.

Related Terminology

Cross mounting plate: The mounting plate that is screwed onto the inside of the carcass (often using System 32 spacing) to hold the hinge arm.
Gap reveal: The required clearance gap between two door fronts, or between a front and the carcass, allowing collision-free opening.
Cranking: The bend or offset of the hinge arm that defines the mounting type.