The Complete Gridfinity Guide: Setup, Print Settings, and Which Filament to Use

Gridfinity is a free, open-source modular storage system built on a 42x42mm grid. You print baseplates that sit in your drawers or on your desk, then print bins that snap into them — any size, any shape, fully rearrangeable. For most setups, PLA Basic works perfectly for indoor workshops and desks, and PETG-HF is the right call for garages or anywhere it gets warm. This guide covers everything: how the system works, where to find files, which filament to use, print settings that actually work, and how to plan your first setup so you don't waste a spool figuring it out.

What we cover

• How Gridfinity works
• Which filament to use
• Print settings that work
• The magnet guide
• Where to find files
• Color coding your system
• Room-by-room setup ideas
• How to plan your first setup
• FAQ

How Gridfinity works

Gridfinity was created by maker Zack Freedman and released open-source in 2022. Within hours of the release, a community had built an entire ecosystem of compatible designs around it. That community is now thousands of designers strong, and there are tens of thousands of free files available for everything from screw bins to soldering iron holders to kitchen spice organizers.

The system has three parts:

• Baseplates — the foundation. These sit flat in a drawer or on a surface and define your grid. They have small pockets that accept the feet of your bins to lock them in place. Most people add 6x2mm magnets to each pocket for a more secure hold.
• Bins — the containers. They come in grid sizes (1x1, 1x2, 2x3, and so on) and heights (measured in units of 7mm). A 1x1x3 bin is one grid unit wide, one deep, and 21mm tall. A 2x4x6 bin is two units wide, four deep, and 42mm tall. Every bin fits every baseplate.
• Accessories — lids, dividers, label slots, tool-specific inserts, wall-mount panels, pegboard adapters, rugged travel cases. The community has designed Gridfinity versions of almost everything.

The 42x42mm grid spec is the standard that makes it all interchangeable. As long as a design follows that spec, it works with everything else in the ecosystem — regardless of who designed it or when.

Which filament to use for Gridfinity

This is where most guides go quiet. The filament choice matters more than it seems: Gridfinity bins have large flat surfaces, thin walls, and need consistent layer adhesion across long prints. The wrong filament means warped baseplates, bins that don't seat properly, or layers that separate when you pick up a full bin.

PLA Basic is the right choice for most people. It's easy to print, rigid enough that bins hold their shape, and cheap enough that you can print a lot of it without guilt. The only scenario where PLA fails is heat: a drawer or shelf in a garage that hits 60°C+ in summer will warp PLA bins over time.

PLA Matte is the best choice if you're color-coding your system (more on that below). The flat finish hides layer lines and looks intentional rather than 3D-printed. It's the same price as PLA Basic and prints identically.

PETG-HF is the upgrade for garage and workshop environments. It handles heat to around 80°C, so bins sitting near a heat gun, soldering iron, or in a sun-exposed garage won't deform. One note: PETG is slightly more flexible than PLA, which changes how snugly bins seat in the baseplate. You may need to tighten tolerances by 0.1mm in your slicer. Always dry PETG-HF before a long print — four hours at 65°C prevents the stringing that makes large flat surfaces look rough.

Skip ABS for Gridfinity unless you genuinely need it. ABS requires an enclosure, warps easily on large flat parts like baseplates, and the performance advantage over PETG-HF for this application is minimal. If you have an X1C or P1S and need bins in an extremely hot environment, ASA is a better call than ABS.

Print settings that actually work

Gridfinity looks simple but has specific requirements that trip people up. Large flat surfaces need enough infill to bridge cleanly. Thin walls need enough perimeters to hold magnets. Here's what works:

• Layer height: 0.2mm for everything. Drop to 0.16mm only if your bins have fine label text you want sharp. Don't use 0.3mm — the reduced layer count hurts the snap-fit geometry.
• Infill: 15% minimum for baseplates (needs rigidity). 10-15% for bins. Going lower causes the first top layer to bridge poorly over infill, giving you wavy surfaces.
• Walls/perimeters: 3 walls minimum for everything. Use 4 walls for bins that hold heavy tools — the extra wall thickness prevents flex when you pick them up full.
• Top/bottom layers: 3 layers is enough. Many slicers default to 4 or 5, which wastes filament on the flat parts that don't need structural strength.
• Print temperature (PLA): 215-220°C. Higher than you might expect, but large flat surfaces benefit from better layer adhesion. A slightly stringy bin beats one where layers separate when full of screws.
• Fan speed: 80-100% for PLA. Reduce to 50-60% if you see any warping on larger baseplates.
• Brim: Avoid it. Removing a brim from a Gridfinity baseplate is tedious. Instead, make sure your first layer adhesion is dialed in before printing large pieces.
• Print one piece first. Always print a single 1x1 bin and a small baseplate section to check fit before committing to a full drawer. A tolerance of 0.1-0.2mm off means bins either fall out or won't seat properly.

The magnet guide

Magnets are optional but strongly recommended — especially for drawers. Without them, bins slide around when you open and close the drawer. With them, every bin clicks into place and stays there even when the drawer gets yanked open fast.

Size: 6x2mm neodymium disc magnets. This is the standard the entire Gridfinity ecosystem is designed around. Most baseplates have four pockets per grid unit sized for exactly this magnet.

How to install:

1. Print your baseplate with the magnet pockets facing up.
2. Test a magnet in one pocket dry first — it should sit flush or just below the surface.
3. Add a small drop of CA glue (super glue) to each pocket.
4. Press a magnet in with a flat tool, not your finger — CA glue bonds skin fast.
5. Critical: check polarity before gluing. All magnets in the baseplate must face the same direction. Drop one magnet into an unglued pocket and use it as a reference: new magnets should attract to the reference magnet when placed north-side-down. If you mix polarities, some bins will repel instead of attract.
6. Let cure for 10 minutes before loading bins.

Some bin designs also have magnet pockets on their feet for extra hold. This is worth doing for bins you use constantly — the satisfying snap-in feel is a big part of what makes the system enjoyable to use.

Where to find Gridfinity files

There are tens of thousands of free Gridfinity designs available. Here are the best places to look:

• Printables.com — the largest collection, well-organized, searchable by tag. Search "gridfinity" and filter by most downloaded to find the best designs. Run by Prusa, free to use.
• MakerWorld — Bambu Lab's model platform. Great for Bambu printer users since profiles are often pre-configured. Gridfinity collection has thousands of designs.
• Gridfinity.xyz — the community hub. Links to designs, specs, and the official Discord where you can ask for help or request designs.
• Gridfinity Generator by Perplexing Labs — if you can't find the exact bin size you need, generate it here. No CAD skills required — just enter your dimensions and download the STL.
• MakerWorld Gridfinity Configurator — built into MakerWorld, lets you measure your drawer and automatically tiles a printable baseplate layout across your build volume. Great for beginners planning their first drawer.

For specific tools — a particular screwdriver, caliper, or electronics component — search the tool name plus "gridfinity" on Printables. Chances are someone has already designed a perfect insert for it.

Color coding your Gridfinity system

Color coding is one of the most practical things you can do with Gridfinity — and one of the easiest to overthink. The goal is simple: assign a color to a category of tools so you can scan a drawer and immediately know what you're looking at without reading labels.

The key is to code by category, not by location. Since bins are modular and you'll move them around, location-based color schemes fall apart the moment you reorganize. Category-based colors stay consistent regardless of where a bin sits.

A simple starting scheme:

• Black or grey — fasteners (screws, nuts, bolts, standoffs)
• Red — cutting tools (blades, bits, drill bits)
• Blue — electronics (components, sensors, connectors)
• Green — adhesives and sealants (glue, tape, putty)
• Yellow — measuring tools (calipers, rulers, gauges)
• White or natural — miscellaneous / not yet categorized

PLA Matte is the best filament for this — the flat finish makes colors look richer and more intentional than glossy PLA. It also hides layer lines, so drawers with labeled bins look clean and purposeful rather than obviously 3D printed.

One practical tip: don't try to plan your entire color scheme before you start printing. Print your first drawer in one color, live with it for a week, then decide if you want to add category coding. Most people find that one or two categories benefit from color coding, not the whole system.

Room-by-room setup ideas

Gridfinity works far beyond the workshop. Here are specific setups worth trying in each space:

Workshop / maker bench — the original use case. Drawer baseplates for screws, bits, and small tools. Wall-mounted panels for frequently grabbed items. Dedicated inserts for calipers, multimeters, soldering tips, and hex keys. Use PETG-HF if the bench is near a heat source.

3D printing station — nozzle storage bins (1x1 with divided sections), spare hardware, build plate clips, lubricants, and a dedicated spot for each filament type's settings card. Gridfinity bins for allen keys and nozzle wrenches mounted right next to the printer save time on maintenance.

Electronics bench — component storage is where Gridfinity really shines. Small 1x1 and 1x2 bins for resistors, capacitors, LEDs, and connectors. Label each bin on the front face. Keep soldering gear (flux, solder, tip cleaner, helping hands) in a separate color family so you can grab what you need by category during a project.

Home office desk — pens, markers, SD cards, USB drives, small cables, SIM ejectors, and those random accessories that always disappear. A small baseplate in one desk drawer is one of the most satisfying Gridfinity setups because the improvement in daily friction is immediate.

Kitchen — spice drawer organizers, a dedicated bin for coffee gear, small utensil dividers. PLA is fine in a kitchen environment as long as bins don't sit near the oven or dishwasher. Great use of Gridfinity because kitchen drawers are notoriously chaotic and the system is food-safe with PLA.

Craft room / hobby space — paint pots, brush storage, bead organizers, LEGO sorting, embroidery thread, sewing supplies. The modular sizing means you can change the layout between projects. A wall-mounted Gridfinity panel for frequently used paints is a popular setup in the community.

How to plan your first Gridfinity setup

The most common mistake is printing too much before you've tested the fit. Follow this order and you'll waste almost nothing:

1. Pick one drawer or surface. Not your whole workshop — one drawer. Starting small lets you test tolerances, dial in your settings, and understand what bin sizes you actually need before committing filament to a large project.
2. Measure the interior dimensions of the drawer (width and depth in mm). Divide each by 42 to get how many grid units fit. A 210x294mm drawer fits a 5x7 grid (210/42=5, 294/42=7).
3. Print a test baseplate section (2x2 or 3x3) and a couple of 1x1 bins. Check that bins seat and release smoothly. If they're too loose, reduce your horizontal expansion setting by 0.1mm. If too tight, increase by 0.1mm.
4. Layout your contents first. Pull everything out of the drawer and sort it into categories. This tells you what bin sizes you actually need, rather than guessing and reprinting.
5. Print the baseplate last. Once you know your bin layout works, print the full baseplate to match. Use the Gridfinity Configurator to split it into printable sections if your drawer is larger than your build plate.
6. Add magnets once everything fits. Don't glue magnets in during testing — you'll want to be able to reprint a section if tolerances need adjusting.

A 1kg spool of PLA Basic yields roughly 90-100 standard 1x1x3 bins, or a baseplate for a medium-sized drawer plus 40-50 bins. Budget one spool to get a single drawer fully organized — then you'll have a feel for the pace before expanding.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a specific 3D printer to print Gridfinity?

Any FDM printer works. The standard 0.4mm nozzle that ships with most printers is ideal. You can use a 0.6mm nozzle for faster prints on baseplates and simple bins — just make sure your slicer uses Arachne (variable-width) perimeter generation for better handling of thin walls. Avoid 0.8mm or larger for bins with fine details or label slots.

Can I mix different brands of Gridfinity files?

Yes — that's the whole point. Any file that follows the 42x42mm Gridfinity spec is compatible with any baseplate and any other bin, regardless of where it was downloaded or who designed it. The spec is open-source and standardized.

How do I make bins that fit a specific tool?

Three options, depending on your comfort level. First, search Printables or MakerWorld for the tool name plus "gridfinity" — someone may have already designed it. Second, use the Gridfinity Generator to create a custom-sized empty bin, then carve out a tool profile manually in a free tool like Tinkercad or Blender. Third, the Autodesk Fusion Gridfinity tutorial series walks you through designing custom inserts from scratch if you want full control.

What size magnets does Gridfinity use?

6x2mm neodymium disc magnets. This is universal across the ecosystem. Buy them in packs of 50-100 since you need four per grid unit on the baseplate. Make sure all magnets in a baseplate face the same direction or some bins will repel instead of snap in.

Is Gridfinity food-safe?

PLA printed at standard settings is generally considered food-safe for dry storage (spices, dry goods, coffee pods). It's not suitable for wet or hot food contact. PETG is also considered food-safe for dry storage and has better moisture resistance than PLA. Neither should be used in a dishwasher — the heat will deform the bins.

Want to dive deeper into which Bambu Lab filament is right for your next project beyond Gridfinity? See our ranked guide to the best Bambu Lab filaments for every project.