Gridfinity: baseplate and bin dimensions, and how to fill a drawer
Quick answer: Gridfinity is a free, open storage system designed by Zack Freedman. A baseplate with a 42 × 42 mm grid sits in a drawer, and printed bins drop into it. Bins are counted in 42 mm grid units across and 7 mm height units up. Each bin is 0.5 mm smaller than its grid, so a 1 × 1 bin is 41.5 mm square. Magnets are optional 6 × 2 mm discs.
- Units that fit a drawer: the inside width ÷ 42, rounded down. Do the same for the depth.
- Bins from any Gridfinity generator fit any Gridfinity baseplate, because they follow the same spec.
- The free splicestl Gridfinity generator plans a whole drawer and exports every bin and baseplate piece.
Gridfinity dimensions
| Part | Size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grid pitch | 42 × 42 mm | One baseplate square |
| Bin footprint | 41.5 mm per unit | 0.25 mm clearance per side; a 2-unit bin is 83.5 mm |
| Height unit | 7 mm | A "3u" bin is 21 mm to the top of the wall |
| Stacking lip | About 3.7 mm | Optional; sits on top of the height and lets bins stack |
| Baseplate wall | 4.65 mm | Magnet and screw-down plates add a thicker floor |
| Magnets | 6 mm × 2 mm discs | Optional, in the bin feet and the baseplate |
| Screws | M3 | Optional, in the smaller holes of the bin base |
Gridfinity is MIT-licensed, so anyone may make and sell compatible bins. Freedman introduced it in a video on 12 April 2022.
How many units fit my drawer?
units deep = inside depth ÷ 42, rounded down
A drawer 400 mm wide and 300 mm deep inside takes 9 × 7 units, or 378 × 294 mm. That leaves 22 mm and 6 mm of slack. A printed spacer strip along one side stops the plate shifting.
How tall can the bins be?
Start from the drawer's inside height. Subtract the baseplate (about 5 mm, or more with magnets), the stacking lip (about 4 mm) and 1 mm of clearance. Divide by 7 and round down.
A drawer 60 mm tall inside fits 7u bins: 49 mm, plus the lip. With a magnet baseplate it fits 6u.
The largest baseplate your printer can print
A baseplate piece can be as many units as fit on the bed: bed width ÷ 42, rounded down.
| Bed (square) | Largest piece | Piece size |
|---|---|---|
| 180 mm | 4 × 4 | 168 mm |
| 220 mm | 5 × 5 | 210 mm |
| 256 mm | 6 × 6 | 252 mm |
| 350 mm | 8 × 8 | 336 mm |
A bigger drawer takes several pieces, butted together. Look up your bed in the printer build volume list.
Magnets, screws or neither
Bins sit in the baseplate by gravity, and the profile stops them sliding. Magnets make them click in, which helps in tool drawers and anything you carry. Use 6 × 2 mm neodymium discs, glued or pressed into the pockets. A screw-down baseplate keeps a large plate from sliding in a drawer or on a wall.
Bin types worth knowing
- Standard: a solid base, optional magnets, dividers and scoops.
- Lite: hollow feet with 0.8 mm floors. A 1 × 1 × 3 bin uses about 60 % less plastic, but takes no magnets.
- Tool holder: a solid bin drilled for hex bits, AA or 18650 cells, or pens.
- Card slots: slots for SD and microSD cards, coin cells or USB sticks.
- Label tabs: a sloped shelf for a label, which prints without supports.
Print settings
| Setting | Bins | Baseplates |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Upright, no supports | Flat, no supports |
| Layer height | 0.2 mm | 0.2 mm |
| Walls | 2–3 | 2–3 |
| Infill | 10–15 % | 10–15 % |
| Material | PLA for indoor drawers; PETG for a hot garage or a car | |
Gridfinity generators compared
| Generator | Runs in | Good at |
|---|---|---|
| gridfinity-rebuilt-openscad | OpenSCAD, on your computer | Every option, scriptable; MIT-licensed |
| Fusion Gridfinity Generator | An add-in for Autodesk Fusion | Parametric bodies you keep editing in CAD |
| Parametric models on MakerWorld | The browser, on MakerWorld | Quick custom bins for Bambu Lab printers |
| splicestl Gridfinity generator | The browser; nothing uploaded | Planning a whole drawer; lite bins, tool holders, labels |
In the splicestl generator, choose Whole drawer and enter the drawer's inside size and your bed. Set up a bin, then click the grid to place it. Fill gaps packs the rest. The zip holds the baseplate pieces, each kind of bin once with its count, and a map of the drawer.
Plan a Gridfinity drawer
Enter the drawer and your bed; get every baseplate piece and bin as STL or 3MF.
Open the Gridfinity generatorFrequently asked questions
What is Gridfinity?
A free, open, MIT-licensed storage system designed by Zack Freedman and introduced in April 2022. A baseplate with a 42 mm grid sits in a drawer, and printed bins drop into it. Bins from any generator fit any baseplate.
What size is a Gridfinity grid?
42 × 42 mm per unit. Bins are 0.5 mm smaller, 41.5 mm per unit, so they drop in with 0.25 mm of clearance on each side.
How tall is one Gridfinity unit?
7 mm. A 3u bin is 21 mm to the top of the wall, plus an optional stacking lip of about 3.7 mm.
What magnets does Gridfinity use?
Round 6 mm × 2 mm neodymium discs, in the bin feet and in a magnet baseplate. They are optional; bins stay in place without them.
Do Gridfinity bins need supports?
No. Bins print upright and baseplates print flat, both without supports. Label tabs are sloped so they print cleanly too.
How many Gridfinity units fit my drawer?
Divide the drawer's inside width and depth by 42 and round down. A drawer 400 × 300 mm inside takes 9 × 7 units.
Sources
- Printables, Gridfinity Specification — 42 mm pitch, 7 mm height unit, 0.25 mm clearance, 6 × 2 mm magnets, M3 screws, 4.65 mm baseplate wall, lip of about 3.69 mm, MIT licence, introduced 12 April 2022. Read 9 Nov 2026.
- GitHub, kennetek/gridfinity-rebuilt-openscad — OpenSCAD bins and baseplates, MIT licence. Read 9 Nov 2026.
- GitHub, Le0Michine/FusionGridfinityGenerator — Fusion add-in for parametric bins and baseplates. Read 9 Nov 2026.
- The bin types and drawer-height rule match the Gridfinity generator's documentation.
What changed — November 9, 2026: first published.