Hole Pattern on Cabinet Hinges (45x9.5 / 48x6 / 52x5.5) — Suitable for Blum & Hettich

October 18, 2025

The hole pattern on cabinet hinges defines the exact spacing of the drilled holes for fixing the hinge cup into the cabinet door. It is specified in millimetres as the distance between the screw holes as well as their distance to the centre of the cup hole, with the most common drilling patterns being 45 x 9.5 mm, 48 x 6 mm, and 52 x 5.5 mm.

What exactly is the hole pattern on cabinet hinges?

When replacing or installing concealed hinges, the hole pattern (also known as the drilling pattern) is the decisive technical criterion for compatibility. The hole pattern acts as the mechanical fingerprint of the fitting – if it does not match the existing drill holes in the door, the fixing screws cannot be driven in without damaging the core material (usually chipboard or MDF).

The measurement specification always consists of two values:

Screw spacing: The distance between the centres of the two small fixing holes (e.g. 45 mm).
Cup offset: The vertical distance from the imaginary line connecting the screw holes to the centre of the large cup hole (e.g. 9.5 mm).

The large hole for the hinge cup itself almost always has a diameter of 35 mm on standard furniture doors. For very light or narrow doors, a size of 26 mm is occasionally used.

Common Hole Patterns and Manufacturer Standards

Over the decades, the industry has agreed on a few standard hole patterns, which often historically trace back to specific leading brands. Anyone replacing concealed hinges / cabinet hinges will generally encounter one of these three drilling patterns:

Hole pattern 45 x 9.5 mm (Blum standard): The most widely used drilling pattern worldwide. The screw holes are 45 mm apart, and the distance to the centre of the cup is 9.5 mm. Alongside Blum, many alternative manufacturers use this pattern for their standard hinges.
Hole pattern 52 x 5.5 mm (Hettich standard): Typical for hinge ranges such as Sensys or Intermat from Hettich. The screw holes are spaced further apart at 52 mm, but sit closer to the centre of the cup at 5.5 mm.
Hole pattern 48 x 6 mm (Salice standard): Another common pattern, frequently found on Italian fittings (Salice) or older Mepla hinges.

Dimensions, Standards, and Typical Values

For a clean installation, drilling depths and distances must be observed with millimetre precision. A typical concealed hinge requires the following routing and drilling dimensions:

Cup hole diameter: 35 mm
Hinge cup drilling depth: 11.5 mm - 13 mm (depending on door thickness, typically routable from 15 mm door thickness).
Drill diameter for fixing screws: 2.5 mm (for pre-drilling wood screws) or 5 mm (for pre-mounted Euro screws or expanding dowels).

While the hole pattern governs fixing into the door, the cruciform mounting plate is fitted to the carcase side. Here, the System 32 standard is almost universally applied, in which the fixing holes in the carcase are spaced exactly 32 mm apart and drilled at a distance of 37 mm from the front carcase edge.

Usage & Selection when Replacing Hinges

To determine the correct hole pattern of a defective hinge, a calliper is required. Always measure from hole centre to hole centre. If the measured dimension matches the replacement part, the new hinge can be screwed directly into the existing drill holes.

If the exact hole pattern is no longer available, the old drill holes in the door must be filled with wood filler or wooden dowels and re-drilled to suit the new hinge. When selecting the replacement hinge, attention must also be paid to the appropriate opening angle. Standard doors usually use concealed hinges / cabinet hinges 110 degrees. For corner cabinets or units with internal drawers, wide-angle hinges such as concealed hinges / cabinet hinges 155 degrees are necessary so that the door does not obstruct the pull-outs. For special constructions, concealed hinges / cabinet hinges 90 degrees are also used.

Equally important is the choice of closing mechanism: modern concealed hinges / cabinet hinges with soft close feature an integrated cylinder that decelerates the door gently and silently over the final centimetres.

Related Terms

Concealed hinge: The technical term for an internal, hidden cabinet hinge (cup hinge).
Full overlay: The door completely covers the carcase side when closed.
Half overlay: Two doors share a central carcase partition wall (semi-overlay).
Inset: The door sits flush inside the carcase opening.
System 32: The international standard for line boring in furniture construction.