---
title: "What Is MDF? Cabinet Glossary | Innovation Cabinetry"
description: "MDF, or medium density fiberboard, is a smooth panel made of fine wood fibers and resin, and it is a stable base for painted door centers."
url: https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/glossary/mdf
publisher: Innovation Cabinetry
phone: +1-888-206-1088
find_a_dealer: https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/find-dealer
---

Construction

# MDF

MDF, or medium density fiberboard, is a smooth panel made of fine wood fibers and resin, and it is a stable base for painted door centers.

MDF is made from very fine wood fibers pressed with resin into a dense sheet. It has no grain and a very smooth face. That makes it a good base for paint, because it does not show wood texture.

MDF resists the splitting that solid wood can show in a wide panel. It is heavier than [particleboard](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/glossary/particleboard) and does not hold screws as well at the edges, so makers use it for door centers more than for boxes.

The EliteCraft brochure says its doors and drawers "feature solid wood stiles and rails, with an MDF center panel, the preferred construction for painted wood." Urban shaker fronts also use a five-piece solid wood frame with an MDF center panel. See [EliteCraft](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/elitecraft_cabinetry) and learn about the shape in [shaker door](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/glossary/shaker-door). MDF is a composite wood product, so see CARB2.

## Related terms

-   [Particleboard](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/glossary/particleboard)
-   [Shaker door](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/glossary/shaker-door)
-   [CARB2](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/glossary/carb2)
-   [Raised panel door](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/glossary/raised-panel-door)

## Sources

1.  [U.S. EPA: Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products](https://www.epa.gov/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-emission-standards-composite-wood-products)

![Whisper Blue Urban shaker kitchen with an island and stools](https://innovationcabinetry.multisites.ai/_astro/ub-whisper-blue-gallery-image-1980x1080-1.4YXlLAS7_Z1qUWbv.webp)

## See it in your own space

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