It has come to my attention over the past couple of years, that many customers are unaware that there are different types of cabinet doors. I guess it also came to the attention of the folks at kitchens.com, because they put this educational article together, so I figured I would share it.

How the cabinet door fits over the cabinet box determines its basic
type.

Full overlay doors have less than 1/8" between them—in effect, they fully
lay over the cabinet. By definition, all frameless cabinets have full overlay
doors. Manufacturers can attach full overlay doors to framed cabinets as well,
however, creating a similar look. You can tell for sure whether a cabinet is framed
or frameless
by opening a door and checking for rails and stiles.

Partial
overlay doors conceal just some of the face frame—there is usually a ½" to 1"
space between closed doors, allowing you to see much of the face frame. Because
partial overlay doors are smaller than full overlay doors, they require less
material, so this choice could slightly reduce your cabinetry’s total
cost.

Inset doors sit within the rails and stiles and lay flush
with the front edges of the cabinet box. Truly inset doors are only available
with framed construction, but designers can achieve the same look using vertical
pilasters on frameless cabinets. Note: wood may expand and contract because of
humidity, causing rubbing between the door and stiles.Lipped doors are routed
with a slight wooden groove to fit over the face frame.

Hopefully this helps explain some difference, as I have also found out over the years that this is one area I really have a hard time explaining!!!

http://www.hicksdistributors.com/