96 deep well plate dimensions
One footprint, a 9 mm grid, and height as the deciding dimension: about 44 mm for the tall classes, about 28 to 32 mm for low profile.
Every 96 deep well plate shares the ANSI/SLAS footprint, 127.76 by 85.48 mm, and the 9 mm well grid. What varies is height, well opening, and skirt, and those are the dimensions that decide instrument fit, seal fit, and how much of the well a tip can reach.
The grid and the footprint
Wells sit on a 9 mm pitch in 8 rows by 12 columns, identical to a standard 96 well plate, which is why deep well plates and assay plates exchange samples without reformatting. The A1 well center sits in the plate's corner region defined by the ANSI/SLAS standards, offset from the two edges so handlers and readers register every plate the same way.
Heights by volume class
Height tracks volume. The 2.2 mL square and 2.0 mL round classes stand about 44 mm tall; the 1.6 mL round class stands in the same tall range; low profile classes at 1.2 mL and below stand about 28 to 32 mm. The sealed height, plate plus mat or film, is the number stackers, hotels, and shaker clamps enforce, and it is the number most often missing from a product page. Measure the physical plate, sealed, against the instrument's stated clearance when a fit is close.
Well openings and bottoms
A square well opens about 8.2 mm across the top and tapers to its pyramid bottom; a round well opens about 8 mm in diameter. The opening is what a cap mat seals against and what a tip enters, so well top geometry, not the footprint, decides mat compatibility. Well depth, from rim to bottom, is the number aspirate heights are programmed from, and it differs from plate height by the base thickness: never program a handler from the height figure alone.
The fit checks that matter
- Stacker and hotels: sealed height against the slot clearance; this is where tall classes fail.
- Shaker: clamp reach against height and skirt, and a base that sits flat in the carrier.
- Handler: the plate definition in the software (height, well depth, skirt) and a gripper that matches the skirt profile.
- Sealer: plate rim flatness and height against the sealer's adapter, for heat seal users.
Related guides
Common questions
What is the well spacing of a 96 deep well plate?
9 mm center to center, in both directions, on an 8 by 12 grid, the same as a standard 96 well plate. It is the ANSI/SLAS defined pitch for the format.
How tall is a 96 deep well plate?
About 44 mm for the tall 2.2 and 2.0 mL classes, and about 28 to 32 mm for low profile classes at 1.2 mL and below. Add the seal or mat for the sealed height, which is the figure instruments enforce.
Is a 96 deep well plate the same size as a 96 well plate?
In footprint and grid, yes: 127.76 by 85.48 mm, wells at 9 mm. In height and volume, no: the deep well plate stands about three times taller and holds up to 2.2 mL per well against a few hundred microliters.
Where is the A1 well on a 96 deep well plate?
In the corner the standards define, offset from the top and left edges of the footprint so instruments register consistently. Plates mark A1 with the row and column labels molded along the edges; the top left well when the labels read upright is A1.
How deep are the wells in a 96 deep well plate?
Depth tracks the volume class and the plate height: the tall 2.2 and 2.0 mL classes stand about 44 mm, and low profile classes about 28 to 32 mm. Well depth itself, rim to bottom, is less than plate height by the base thickness, and it is the number handler aspirate heights are programmed from. Read it off the drawing for the specific plate instead of programming from the height figure.