Choose full overlay for one door over a side edge
Use the matching hinge when one door needs to overlap most of the cabinet side-panel edge. Confirm the exact overlay, drilling and mounting plate.
Compare full-overlay hingesFull Overlay vs Half Overlay Cabinet Hinges
On a frameless cabinet, overlay describes how far the closed door covers the edge of a cabinet side or partition. Full overlay covers most of that edge. Half overlay lets two adjacent doors share one mounting partition, with each covering part of it.
Choose half overlay when two doors share a divider
Use the matching hinge when adjacent doors are hinged from opposite faces of one partition and must divide the available overlay.
Compare half-overlay hingesTwo doors alone do not mean half overlay. A pair of doors hinged on the outer sides of one opening may both use full-overlay hinges. The mounting layout—not the door count—determines the choice.
At a glance
What is the difference between full overlay and half overlay?
The comparison below uses frameless cabinet layouts, matching the two products featured here. Face-frame hinges must be selected for their own mounting arrangement.
On a small screen, swipe across the table to compare both columns.
| Feature | Full overlay | Half overlay |
|---|---|---|
| What the door covers | Most of the edge of a cabinet side panel in a frameless overlay application. | A portion of a shared partition, allowing the adjacent door to cover the other portion. |
| Typical hinge location | Inside face of a cabinet side supporting that door. | Opposite faces of the same divider supporting two adjacent doors. |
| Number of doors | Not limited to single-door cabinets. A two-door opening can use full overlay at both outer sides. | Not required simply because two doors meet. Look for a shared hinge-mounting partition. |
| Door gap / appearance | Allow the required reveals and opening clearance; full overlay does not mean zero gap. | Allow a planned gap between neighboring doors; it does not imply a wide visible frame strip. |
| Exact overlay | Depends on the hinge, plate, drilling position and cabinet design. Not one universal measurement. | Depends on the same factors. Not automatically an exact half-panel measurement or a 1/2-inch overlay. |
| Soft close & angle | Separate features from overlay. The featured Berta model is 110° and soft close. | Separate features from overlay. The featured Berta model is also 110° and soft close. |
| Face-frame compatibility | A face-frame installation needs hardware specified for the frame and measured overlay. | Do not transfer frameless shared-partition assumptions to a face-frame door layout. |
Shop the comparison
Two 110° soft-close hinge options for frameless cabinets
Match the overlay application first. Both standard product packages contain 20 hinges and installation screws. Shared opening angles or cup sizes do not make full-overlay and half-overlay hinges interchangeable.
View current product photos and options
Frameless · Soft close
View Full Overlay Hinges
110° Full Overlay Soft-Close Hinges
Clip-on hinges for frameless doors that overlap most of the side-panel edge, with three-dimensional alignment adjustment.
- Cabinet construction
- Frameless
- Door overlay
- Full overlay
- Opening / closing
- 110° / soft close
- Door alignment
- 3D adjustment
Selected package: 20 hinges + installation screws
Confirm the listed hinge quantity and installation hardware on the product page.
Price for this package — not one hinge$27.99 USD
Available to order · Confirm fulfillment on the product page
View current product photos and options
Frameless · Soft close
View Half Overlay Hinges
110° Half Overlay Soft-Close Hinges
Clip-on hinges for adjacent frameless doors sharing a mounting partition, with three-cam, six-way alignment adjustment.
- Cabinet construction
- Frameless
- Door overlay
- Half overlay
- Opening / closing
- 110° / soft close
- Door alignment
- 3-cam / 6-way adjustment
Selected package: 20 hinges + installation screws
Confirm the listed hinge quantity and installation hardware on the product page.
Price for this package — not one hinge$32.99 USD
Available to order · Confirm fulfillment on the product pagePhotos and prices come from Shopify. Confirm your selected option and package contents before ordering. Shipping, taxes and any eligible discounts are finalized at checkout.
These are frameless hinges, not face-frame substitutes. For a framed cabinet, choose hardware and mounting plates specified for that construction. For either featured model, review its own drilling and installation information rather than borrowing measurements from the other hinge.
See the difference
Full overlay vs half overlay: top-view layouts
The door coverage is different even when both hinge options provide soft close. The drawings below show closed doors on frameless cabinets.
Full overlay
Half overlay
Schematic top views only. Hinge mechanisms are omitted. These are not cutting plans, drilling templates or dimensioned drawings. Use the actual hinge installation information for overlay, door gaps and mounting positions.
Identify your overlay
Measure the overlap—not just the opening angle
Overlay is the distance that the closed door extends past the cabinet opening edge on the hinge side. Measure in the context of the actual cabinet: a frameless side panel and a face frame are different mounting surfaces.
For an existing door
With the door closed, identify its hinge-side edge relative to the opening edge. Record the overlap, then inspect the current hinge and mounting plate with the door open.
Note the cabinet construction, door thickness, cup diameter and depth, hole spacing and plate position. A matching cup diameter by itself does not establish a replacement fit.
For a new cabinet
Plan the opening sizes, partition thickness, door sizes and intended gaps together. Select a hinge and plate combination that can achieve that layout.
Use its drilling diagram before boring the doors. A label such as full overlay or half overlay is an application description, not a complete set of machining dimensions.
Half overlay is not the same label as 1/2-inch overlay. Half overlay describes a shared-partition application. A numeric overlay describes a measured overlap; neither term replaces the product’s installation drawing.
Before you order
Six checks before choosing a replacement hinge
Full overlay and half overlay affect fit. Select the correct hinge geometry before using the adjustment screws to align the doors.
- 1. Frameless or face frameIdentify where the mounting plate attaches. The two featured products are for frameless construction; framed cabinets need a compatible system.
- 2. Side panel or shared partitionCheck whether one door uses the edge or two doors are hinged from opposite faces of the same divider. Count the mounting surfaces, not just the doors.
- 3. Required overlay & gapsMeasure or design the overlap and reveals. Leave the opening clearance required by the hinge and door thickness; do not assume zero gap.
- 4. Door thickness & cup drillingCompare cup diameter, bore depth, edge distance and screw-hole spacing using the exact product instructions. Do not copy one model’s values to another.
- 5. Matching mounting plateCheck the compatible plate and its height and fixing position. A different plate can change the achievable overlay and door position.
- 6. Door size, weight & openingVerify the required hinge quantity and the complete opening path, including handles, walls and adjacent doors. Overlay is separate from opening angle.
Full-overlay specifications & installation templateHalf-overlay specifications & installation templateEstimate hinge quantity
The quantity calculator is a planning aid. Confirm hinge quantity against the selected hardware’s door-size and weight requirements.
Common questions
Full-overlay and half-overlay cabinet hinge FAQs
Is full overlay better than half overlay?
Neither is universally better. Choose the application that matches where the door is hinged and how much of the side or partition it must cover. Both can create a neatly aligned cabinet front when the layout is designed correctly.
Do double-door cabinets always need half-overlay hinges?
No. Two doors hinged at the outer sides of one opening may use full-overlay hinges. Half overlay is associated with adjacent doors sharing a hinge-mounting partition, not simply two doors meeting in the middle.
Can I use these half-overlay hinges on a face-frame cabinet?
The featured half-overlay model is specified for frameless cabinets. For a framed cabinet, select hinges and mounting plates intended for the frame and required overlay. Browse face-frame hinge options rather than assuming these are interchangeable.
Can I change full overlay to half overlay by adjusting the screws?
Do not assume the adjustment range can convert the application. Full-overlay and half-overlay hinges use different geometry. Confirm the hinge and plate combination, door sizes and achievable overlay before replacing or changing the layout.
Can one cabinet use both full-overlay and half-overlay hinges?
Yes, when different doors have different mounting arrangements—for example, doors on outer sides and doors sharing an internal divider. Select the hardware for each door’s position; do not assume mismatched hinge geometries should be combined on one door.
Does half overlay mean a 1/2-inch overlay?
No. Half overlay identifies an application. A 1/2-inch overlay is a specific measured overlap. Check the actual required dimension and the chosen hinge system rather than equating the two terms.
Start with the cabinet layout. Finish with the right hinge.
Have your cabinet type, overlay measurement, door thickness and current hinge details ready. We can help identify the appropriate application before you order.
Product specifications and technical references
Featured product specifications come from Berta Store’s 110° full-overlay hinge and 110° half-overlay hinge listings. Follow the current installation information for the exact model.
Blum’s hinge-planning reference illustrates the general relationship between overlay applications, drilling, plates and minimum gaps. Its dimensions apply to the referenced Blum hardware, not to Berta hinges. The diagrams on this page are explanatory, not manufacturer templates.