What Is Edgebanding? PVC, ABS and PSA Compared
Edgebanding is the thin strip glued onto the cut edge of a sheet-goods panel so the edge is closed, finished and able to take being touched. Plywood, particleboard and MDF all leave a raw edge wherever they are cut, and this is what turns that edge into a face.
At a glance
| What it is | A strip applied to a cut panel edge to close and finish it |
|---|---|
| The common materials | PVC, ABS, PSA-backed strip, and real wood veneer |
| Typical thin | Around 0.45 mm to 1 mm, for interiors and edges nobody handles |
| Typical thick | 2 mm and up, for door edges and drawer fronts, and it can be radiused |
| What it changes | The cut size of every part that gets it |
What the word means
Cut a sheet of plywood or particleboard and you expose the core: layers, chips or fibres, depending on the material. That edge takes finish badly, absorbs moisture, chips when it is knocked, and looks like the inside of something. Edgebanding closes it.
The word does double duty in the trade. Edgebanding is the material on the roll. To edgeband is what you do with it. A panel that has been through the process is edgebanded. All three are one word, which is worth knowing when you are searching for it.
The materials
| PVC | The long-standing default. Widely stocked in every colour and texture, tough, and it runs well through a machine |
|---|---|
| ABS | The chlorine-free alternative many shops move to for that reason. It behaves almost identically on the machine, and it is common wherever a specification asks for it |
| PSA | Pressure sensitive adhesive: the glue is already on the back under a peel-off liner, so it goes on with hand pressure. The format that makes sense for a handful of edges rather than a machine run |
| Wood veneer | Real timber, so the edge matches a veneered face and can be sanded and finished with it |
Thickness is a decision about where hands land. Thin bands sit almost flush and read as part of the panel, which is what a cabinet interior wants. Thicker bands take knocks and can be radiused so the corner is not sharp, which is what a drawer front or a door edge wants.
Where it shows up on a cut list
Two numbers live in every part row and edgebanding is what separates them. The finished size is what the part measures when it is done, with the edgebanding on. The cut size is what you cut at the machine, with the thickness of the band taken off every edge that gets one.
A part finished at 600 mm with 1 mm edgebanding on one long edge is cut at 599 mm. Band both long edges and it is cut at 598 mm. Small enough to shrug at once, and impossible to shrug at across a bank of drawer fronts stacked in one opening, where the gaps between them are what anybody actually looks at.
So the row has to say which of the four edges get it, edge by edge, rather than carrying a yes or a no for the whole part. What that does to the arithmetic is in the cut list calculator guide; which material and thickness to use where is the edgebanding guide.
Common questions
What is edgebanding?
A thin strip glued to the cut edge of a sheet-goods panel so the edge is closed, finished and protected. Plywood, particleboard and MDF all leave a raw edge wherever they are cut, and edgebanding is what turns that edge into a face you can touch and clean.
What is the difference between PVC and ABS edgebanding?
They behave almost identically on the machine and the difference is mostly about material choice rather than performance. PVC is the long-standing default and is widely stocked in every colour and texture. ABS is the chlorine-free alternative many shops move to for that reason, and it is common wherever the specification asks for it.
What does PSA edgebanding mean?
PSA stands for pressure sensitive adhesive: the glue is already on the back of the strip under a peel-off liner, so it goes on with hand pressure and an iron is not part of it. It is the format that makes sense when you are edgebanding a handful of edges rather than running a machine.
How thick should edgebanding be?
Thin bands around 0.45 mm to 1 mm read as part of the panel and are what most cabinet interiors get. Thicker bands, 2 mm and up, take knocks on the edges people actually touch, such as drawer fronts and door edges, and can be radiused so the corner is not sharp. Whatever you pick, take its thickness off the part size before you cut, or the finished panel comes out over size.
Keep reading
A CabDesign glossary entry. Measure the roll you actually bought before you take its thickness off a part. Back to the glossary.