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A 384-well plate does not have one volume. Every product line states two figures: a total well volume (what the well can physically hold) and a smaller working volume (the range the manufacturer recommends you actually fill). For Corning’s standard clear 384-well plates the total is 112 µL and the working range is 20-80 µL; for its low-volume solid black or white 384-well plate (catalog 3820) the total is 50 µL and the working range is 5-40 µL.
Who uses it: bench scientists running plate-based assays, core-facility staff, and buyers or lab managers matching a plate to a plate reader or liquid-handling workflow.
What 384-well plate volume means: total vs working volume
Total (brim) volume is the most a well can hold. Working volume is the range recommended for use, and it sits below the total. Corning’s clear 384-well catalog page puts it this way: “Total well volume of 112 µL; working well volume of 20 µL – 80 µL.” Planning an assay around the total volume leaves no headroom, so the working range is the number to design around.
Standard vs low-volume 384-well plates
The two Corning product lines below show how much the figures differ between plate types. The values are Corning’s published specifications; other manufacturers and other product lines differ.
| Plate type | Total well volume | Working volume | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corning 384-well clear polystyrene microplates (flat bottom; catalog numbers 3640, 3680, 3700, 3701, 3702, 3702BC, 3844) | 112 µL | 20-80 µL | Corning catalog |
| Corning 384-well solid black and white polystyrene, low volume (catalog 3820; round wells, flat bottom) | 50 µL | 5-40 µL | Corning catalog 3820 |
The low-volume plate holds less than half the total volume of the standard clear plate (50 vs 112 µL). Both lines are made of polystyrene; the clear family is offered in surface variants (NBS, Not Treated, High Bind, TC-treated and Poly-D-Lysine) while the 3820 plate has round wells with a solid, flat bottom, and Corning lists the distance from the well bottoms to the plate bottom as 2.8 mm.
How to check the volume for your plate
- Find the catalog number printed on the packaging or purchase record, then open the manufacturer’s datasheet or catalog page for that exact number.
- Read both the total well volume and the working (recommended) volume. Do not assume the figures carry over from a different product line.
- Note that a single manufacturer page may state one set of volumes for a whole family of catalog numbers, as Corning does for its clear 384-well plates.
- Confirm the plate type suits the readout; for background on plate formats and readers see what a microplate is and what a plate reader is.
Common mistakes
- Treating total volume as the fill volume. The manufacturer’s recommended range is lower than the brim volume.
- Carrying volumes from one plate to another. The two lines above differ by more than a factor of two in total volume (112 vs 50 µL).
- Using a volume from a different manufacturer’s table. Published figures are per product line and per maker.
Related lab guides
Small volumes put pressure on dispensing accuracy; see the pipette tips selection guide and the ELISA protocol basics for a common plate-based assay.
FAQ
What is the volume of a 384-well plate?
It depends on the product. A standard Corning clear 384-well plate has a 112 µL total well volume with a 20-80 µL working volume; Corning’s low-volume solid black or white 384-well plate (3820) has a 50 µL total and a 5-40 µL working volume.
What is the difference between total volume and working volume?
Total volume is the most the well can hold. Working volume is the manufacturer-recommended range for use, which is smaller.
Do all 384-well plates hold the same volume?
No. The two Corning product lines above differ by more than double in total volume, so check the datasheet for your catalog number.
Sources
- Corning, 384-well Clear Polystyrene Microplates product page, checked 2026-10-29.
- Corning, 384-well Solid Black and White Polystyrene Microplates, catalog 3820, checked 2026-10-29.
