There is no universal placement number
Cabinet styles vary too much for one offset to be correct everywhere. Rail widths, stile widths, inset panels, applied molding, drawer proportions, hand clearance, and neighboring doors all affect the result. A useful layout begins with the visible geometry of the actual cabinet and ends with every matching piece using the same reference method.
Before choosing a number, hold the hardware against the cabinet. Check how it feels from the normal approach, whether fingers clear an adjacent counter or panel, and whether the screw heads and drill path avoid joints, glass, drawer boxes, and other obstructions on the back.
Drawer-front placement
A single knob or pull is commonly centered left to right on an ordinary drawer front. Vertical placement may be centered on the whole front or aligned with a visual feature such as the center of a recessed panel. Very wide drawers may use two pulls, but that is a separate layout choice requiring balanced positions rather than one center template.
To find the geometric center, divide the panel width and height by two. For a two-hole pull, the midpoint between its holes sits on the planned hardware center. Half of the center-to-center spacing falls on each side of that midpoint.
Left hole = midpoint − spacing ÷ 2 · Right hole = midpoint + spacing ÷ 2Cabinet-door placement
Door hardware normally sits near the opening edge, opposite the hinges. The vertical reference depends on whether the door is an upper or lower cabinet and on the door construction. Instead of copying an isolated number, choose an offset that lands on solid material, looks intentional beside neighboring fronts, and feels natural to reach.
Use the same named references for every matching door: for example, from the opening-side edge and from the lower end of an upper door. Do not alternate between measuring from a panel detail on one door and the outside edge on the next. PrintJig records the selected side, end, and offsets in the PDF so the reference method travels with the marks.
Measure center-to-center spacing correctly
Pull spacing is the distance between the centers of its mounting holes, not its overall length. A caliper is helpful, but a ruler can work when the holes are clear. Measure from the same edge of one hole to the same edge of the other; that produces the same distance as center to center and can be easier than estimating two centers.
Metric pull spacing is common even in an inch-based workshop. Enter millimeters directly or convert carefully. PrintJig lets the whole setup switch between inches and millimeters without changing the underlying physical size.
Make repetition work for you
- Complete one representative setup and save it in PrintJig.
- Print at 100% and verify the calibration square.
- Test the template and hardware on a scrap or hidden sample when possible.
- Mark one cabinet, confirm the result, then repeat the same references.
- Keep the saved browser setup until the entire run is installed.
A template improves consistency, but it cannot inspect the back of the workpiece. Check every door and drawer before drilling, especially where cabinets have been repaired or modified.