Layout
16 × 24384 wells
Free template · 16 × 24 · A–P · 1–24
384-Well Plate Template
Free 384-well plate template (16 × 24 grid, A–P, 1–24) in Word, Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, PNG and SVG: the high-throughput standard for screening and qPCR.
Quick answer
A 384-well plate template is a blank 16 × 24 grid (rows A–P, columns 1–24), the high-throughput format with four times the wells of a 96-well plate in the same footprint. Wells hold 20–50 µL. Download free in Word, Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, PNG and SVG.
Coordinates
A–P, 1–24
Growth area
0.056cm²/well
Working volume
20–50 µL
Well pitch
4.5mm
Price
Free
Download the 384-well plate template
Editable Word and Excel, print-ready PDF, PowerPoint, and high-resolution PNG and vector SVG, all on the standard 16 × 24 grid with labelled rows and columns.
PDF384-well plate templatePDF · Print-readyDOCX384-well plate templateWord · EditableXLSX384-well plate templateExcel · Grid + well listPPTX384-well plate templatePowerPoint · For slidesPNG384-well plate templatePNG · 1400 px imageSVG384-well plate templateSVG · Vector
Design your 384-well layout online
Assign samples and controls, colour-code groups, and export a plate map or CSV.
Key takeaways
- 384 wells in a 16 × 24 grid (A–P, 1–24).
- ≈ 0.056 cm² per well · 20–50 µL working volume.
- Standard SBS/ANSI footprint that fits any plate reader or handler.
- Free in Word, Excel, PDF, PowerPoint, PNG and SVG.
About the 384-well plate
The 384-well plate quadruples the density of the 96-well while keeping the same SBS footprint, so 384 reactions fit where 96 once did. Wells hold small volumes (about 20–50 µL working) and are addressed A1 through P24 across sixteen rows and twenty-four columns.
It is the format of choice for high-throughput screening (HTS) and miniaturized qPCR, where reagent savings and parallelism matter most. Accurate liquid handling and a clear plate map become essential at this density.
384-well plate dimensions & volume
| Specification | Nominal value |
|---|---|
| Wells / layout | 384 (16 × 24) |
| Row / column labels | A–P / 1–24 |
| Plate footprint | 127.76 × 85.48 mm |
| Well spacing (pitch) | 4.5 mm |
| Well diameter | ≈ 3.7 mm |
| Growth area / well | ≈ 0.056 cm² |
| Working volume | 20–50 µL |
| Max volume | 112 µL |
Nominal values for a standard flat-bottom plate; exact figures vary by manufacturer and plate type.
Compared with the 96-well plate
A 384-well is a 96-well scaled up 4×: four 384-wells occupy the space of the 96-well grid. It maximizes throughput and cuts reagent cost, but demands precise pipetting and careful mapping. See the 96-well plate template or the full dimensions guide.
Working volume & cell seeding
384-well wells hold only 20–50 µL, so cell-based work uses small, precise seeding volumes dispensed by automation. The format prioritizes throughput and reagent savings for high-throughput screening and miniaturized qPCR, where accurate liquid handling matters more than per-well volume.
Example layout: four 96-well plates in one 384
The most common 384-well layout is not an assay design at all. It is a transfer. Because the 4.5 mm pitch is exactly half of 9 mm, four 96-well plates interleave into a single 384-well plate, and a 96-tip head fills one of the four quadrant positions per pass.
- Source plate 1 (A1, A3, C1 ...)
- Source plate 2 (A2, A4 ...)
- Source plate 3 (B1, B3 ...)
- Source plate 4 (B2, B4 ...)
- Source plate 1 lands on odd rows and odd columns, starting at A1. Plate 2 lands on odd rows and even columns, starting at A2.
- Plate 3 takes even rows and odd columns from B1, and plate 4 even rows and even columns from B2.
- Every source well keeps its own address, so 96-well A1 becomes 384-well A1, A2, B1 or B2 depending on the source plate.
- Record which source plate went to which offset on the template. Once the four are merged, nothing on the plate itself says where a sample came from.
Rebuild this layout in the plate designer and export it as a PNG or CSV, or see more worked layouts in the template library.
Stepping up or down a format
| Format | Wells | Area/well | Working volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96-well | 96 | 0.32 cm² | 100–200 µL |
| 384-well (this page) | 384 | 0.056 cm² | 20–50 µL |
- Step down a format when pipetting accuracy or cell handling matters more than throughput, which is the case for most bench work in 96-well format.
- Work through the full decision in choosing the right well plate template.
Common uses
- High-throughput screening. Screen large compound or condition libraries with minimal reagent.
- Miniaturized qPCR. Run hundreds of reactions per plate at reduced cost.
- Automated assays. Designed for liquid handlers and robotic workflows.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 384-well plate used for?
The 384-well plate is used for high-throughput screening and miniaturized qPCR, where its four-fold density and small 20–50 µL reactions cut reagent cost and increase throughput. It is designed for automated liquid handlers rather than manual pipetting.
What are the dimensions of a 384-well plate?
384 wells in a 16 × 24 grid on the standard 127.76 × 85.48 mm footprint, with a 4.5 mm well pitch and wells about 3.7 mm across.
What is the working volume of a 384-well plate?
The recommended working volume is about 20–50 µL per well, with a maximum near 112 µL. The small volumes are the main reason the format saves reagent.
How does a 384-well plate compare to a 96-well plate?
A 384-well has four times the wells in the same footprint, using a 4.5 mm pitch, exactly half the 96-well's 9 mm, so four 384-wells map onto one 96-well position. It trades easy handling and volume for throughput.
How are 384-well plates labelled?
Sixteen rows labelled A–P and twenty-four columns 1–24, giving wells A1 through P24.
Is the 384-well template free?
Yes. Every format is free to download for research, educational and commercial use.
How do four 96-well plates map onto one 384-well plate?
The 4.5 mm pitch is exactly half of 9 mm, so the four source plates interleave. Plate 1 fills odd rows and odd columns from A1, plate 2 odd rows and even columns from A2, plate 3 even rows and odd columns from B1, and plate 4 even rows and even columns from B2. A 96-tip head fills one offset per pass.
Can I pipette a 384-well plate by hand?
You can, with a 16-channel or adjustable-spacing pipette, but it is slow and error-prone. Wells are about 3.7 mm across on a 4.5 mm pitch, so a tip that lands off centre touches the wall. Most labs reserve manual work for single columns of controls and use a dispenser or handler for the rest.
How much liquid does a 384-well plate hold?
Working volumes are about 20 to 50 microlitres, with a physical maximum near 112 microlitres. Small volumes evaporate quickly, so seal the plate for anything longer than a short read and treat the outer rows as the most exposed.