Practical cutting guide

Edge Banding in a Cut List

Track top, right, bottom, and left edge banding marks in printable cabinet and melamine cut lists.

Edge Banding in a Cut List

Edge banding instructions tell the shop which sides of a panel need banding after cutting. For melamine and cabinet projects, losing these marks can cause assembly and finish errors.

What to record

Record edge banding per side: top, right, bottom, and left relative to the finished part orientation. Do this before optimizing so rotated parts can still be reviewed correctly.

Example banding notes
PartEdges to bandWhy
ShelfFront edgeVisible opening edge.
Cabinet sideFront vertical edgeVisible face frame or frameless front.
Drawer frontAll four edgesFinished visible panel.
Back panelNone or hidden edgesUsually not visible.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not treat edge banding as material thickness in the optimizer unless you intentionally oversize parts before trimming. It is usually a shop note, not a reason to change the rectangle size.

Quick FAQ

Does edge banding change cut size?

Usually no. Cut size remains the finished panel size unless your shop intentionally cuts oversized and trims after banding.

What happens when a part rotates?

Review the printed labels and edge marks so top/right/bottom/left still match the finished orientation.

Is this only for melamine?

No. It also applies to veneer plywood, cabinet parts, shelves, and finished panels.

Use the live calculator on this site to test the same assumptions with your own stock size, part list, kerf, strategy, and export needs.

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