Gridfinity for IKEA ALEX Drawers: Custom Inserts From a Photo (No CAD, No Measuring)
Why IKEA ALEX and Gridfinity Are a Perfect Match
If you own an IKEA ALEX desk or cabinet, you already know the problem: those wide, shallow drawers are perfect for spreading things out -- but terrible for actually finding them. Gridfinity fixes that. The modular 42mm grid system turns any drawer into a precision-organized storage station, and the ALEX series is one of the most popular targets in the 3D printing community for exactly this reason.
The catch? Most Gridfinity setups require you to pick from standard bin sizes, measure your items manually, and design trays in CAD software. That is hours of work just to figure out where your scissors live. GridPilot skips all of that: take one photo of your drawer contents, and it generates a custom Gridfinity insert sized for exactly what you have.
IKEA ALEX Drawer Dimensions: What Fits a Gridfinity Grid
Before printing anything for a Gridfinity IKEA ALEX setup, you need the interior drawer dimensions. The ALEX series comes in two widths:
- ALEX Desk (narrow): Interior drawer dimensions approximately 297mm x 500mm
- ALEX Wide Cabinet: Interior drawer dimensions approximately 340mm x 500mm
Gridfinity baseplates tile at 42mm intervals, so a narrow ALEX drawer fits roughly a 7x12 grid and the wide version fits close to an 8x12 grid. The exact count depends on your specific model and whether you want a snug fit or a few millimeters of clearance on each side. Many makers print a slim baseplate -- around 6mm thick instead of the standard 9.6mm -- to maximize bin height in the shallower top drawers.
If you use GridPilot to generate your layout, you do not need to work any of this out manually. The tool accounts for your drawer size and the actual objects in your photo to generate a layout that fits.
What to Organize in IKEA ALEX Drawers With Gridfinity
The ALEX series appears in home offices, artist studios, craft rooms, and maker spaces. The most common frustration is items that look identical at a glance -- pens, markers, cables -- or items with odd shapes that roll around and clump together in an empty drawer.
Popular use cases for a Gridfinity IKEA ALEX insert include:
- Art and craft supplies: Markers, brushes, paint tubes, washi tape, scissors, craft knives
- Office and tech: USB cables, adapters, sticky notes, staples, batteries, SD cards
- Jewelry and small parts: Beads, clasps, rings, findings, seed packets
- Sewing and fiber arts: Bobbins, needles, seam rippers, thimbles, measuring tape
- Small tools: Precision screwdrivers, pliers, tweezers, Allen keys, calipers
Each category has different bin height and spacing requirements. A bobbin needs a different slot than a paint brush. That is exactly why a one-size-fits-all approach often fails -- and why starting from a photo of your actual items is the most reliable method.
How to Create a Custom Gridfinity Insert for Your IKEA ALEX Drawer
Here is the full workflow from cluttered ALEX drawer to a print-ready Gridfinity layout, without any CAD work:
- Step 1: Empty the drawer and lay out everything you want to store. Arrange all the items on a flat surface. Include everything -- the odd adapters, the scissors, the tape dispenser. If it goes in the drawer, it should be in the photo.
- Step 2: Take a photo from directly above. Shoot straight down with your phone. Even lighting matters -- avoid harsh shadows that hide item edges. A plain light-colored surface helps the AI distinguish individual objects.
- Step 3: Upload to GridPilot. Go to gridpilot.us, start a new project, and upload your photo. GridPilot's computer vision identifies each object and calculates relative sizes.
- Step 4: Enter your ALEX drawer size. Input the interior width and depth of your specific ALEX drawer. GridPilot tiles the Gridfinity baseplate and determines which bin configuration best fits your items.
- Step 5: Download and print. Export a print-ready 3MF file, slice it in Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, or Cura, and start the print. The whole process takes minutes, not hours.
Printing Tips for Gridfinity IKEA ALEX Inserts
A few things worth knowing before you send the print job:
- Split the baseplate into sections. Most ALEX drawers are wider than a standard 256mm print bed. Print the baseplate in two or three sections and snap them together -- they stay flat and align precisely.
- Use shorter bins in top drawers. Top ALEX drawers have interior heights around 50-60mm. Standard Gridfinity 1-unit bins (37mm tall) fit fine. Two-unit bins (75mm) will not. Move taller items to deeper bottom drawers.
- Match infill to the load. Baseplates can be printed at 15% infill -- they do not carry load. Bins holding heavy items like batteries or tools should be 25-30% infill for long-term durability.
- Print one test bin first. Before committing to a multi-hour full-drawer print, print a single bin sized for your tightest-fitting item. Verify the clearance, then print the rest.
Why Custom Inserts Beat Generic Gridfinity Bins for IKEA ALEX
There are free Gridfinity STL files designed specifically for IKEA ALEX drawers -- baseplates sized to 297mm x 500mm and standard bins in 1x1, 1x2, and 2x2 configurations. Those work well if your items happen to fit standard Gridfinity bin sizes.
Most people's drawers do not contain standard-sized things. You have a Japanese ruler slightly wider than a normal ruler. A roll of washi tape that does not quite fit a 1x1 bin. A cable that tangles in an open bin but would stay put in one with a divider.
Custom inserts -- generated from a photo of your actual items -- eliminate all of that guesswork. GridPilot sees your ruler, your tape, your cables, and builds bins that hold those specific objects. The difference between an organizer that almost works and one you actually keep using comes down to fit. And fit comes from measuring your real things, not picking from a preset menu of sizes designed for someone else's drawer.
Get Your IKEA ALEX Drawers Organized Today
If you have been meaning to sort out your ALEX drawers but did not want to spend an afternoon in CAD, this is your fastest path to an organized workspace. Take a photo of your items, let GridPilot generate the layout, and have a print running tonight.