Before choosing a hinge type, you must first determine what type of cabinet construction you have.

European or Frameless Cabinets:

Have flush or inset doors with concealed hinges:

• Full Overlay Door: The door covers the cabinet end panel
  
  
• Half Overlay Door: The door covers half of the cabinet end panel
  
  
• Inset Door: The door is inset or flush with the cabinet face
  
  

Face Frame cabinets:

Have a wooden frame on the face of the cabinet.

• Flush Door: The door is completely flush with the face of the frame
  
  
• 3/8” Inset (lipped) Door: The door completely overlays the face frame and has a recess or rabbet cut on the back edge
  
  
• Overlay Door: The door overlays the face frame completely
  
  

You will also need to determine how many hinges per door you will need for your application. Here is a general set of guidelines, but you should also check manufacturer guidelines if available.

Door Height	Door Weight	Number of Hinges required
Less than 40”	Less than 11 lbs	2 hinges required
40”-60”	13-20 lbs	3 hinges required
60”-80”	29-33 lbs	4 hinges required
80”-85”	40-48 lbs	5 hinges required

In addition you must decide what hinge type is right for your application. Cabinetparts.com carries many different hinge types, but most applications will fall within 3 hinge types:

• European or Frameless Cabinet Hinges: A fully concealed hinge that must be mortised into the cabinet door. European hinges are easy to install and adjust and can also be used on face frame cabinets
• Face Frame European Hinge-: A concealed hinge that attaches to a framed cabinet with a wide array of overlays. This hinge must also be mortised into the cabinet door.
• Traditional or Semi-Concealed Cabinet Hinges: A non-mortise hinge that screws onto the door and frame of a face frame cabinet. There are several types, but most common are variable overlay and 3/8”

Inset European hinges also require the use of a baseplate for attachment. The baseplate is mounted on the side of the cabinet in European of Frameless Construction, or on the frame in Face Frame Construction. The hinge attaches to the baseplate by a clip mechanism or a screw that must be tightened down.

The height of the baseplate reduces the overlay of the door by an equal amount. This means that the taller or higher the baseplate, the smaller the overlay will be. For example a full overlay hinge with a 0mm height baseplate will give you a full overlay application. A full overlay hinge with a 6mm height baseplate will give you a half overlay application. A full overlay hinge with an 18mm height baseplate will give you an inset application.

Cabinetparts.com carries many different hinges beyond the 3 styles that have been discussed here. We have a dedicated staff of professional customer service reps that can guide you through the process of choosing your hinge. We also offer a European hinge matching service for those hard to find or discontinued hinges. As we always say.This CAN be rocket science in some cases!

Anatomy Of A Hinge