48 well plate map template
Forty-eight wells is exactly the count where a layout feels memorizable and is not. Free downloads and an online maker, no signup, they open in Excel and Google Sheets.
A plate map is the written record of what is in each well: the grid, the groups, the controls, the doses, decided before anything is pipetted. At 48 wells the map is also the analysis key, because dose responses and condition screens lay out in patterns (eight columns of concentrations, six rows of conditions) that no one reconstructs correctly from memory.
Open the online plate map maker Paint wells by group, then export the finished map as Excel or CSV.
Downloads
Plate map template (Excel, XLSX)
Plate map template (CSV)
Plate map template (printable PDF)
Plate map template (PNG image)
Sample list (Excel, XLSX)
Sample list (CSV)
Why a map matters at 48 wells
The classic 48 well layout is a screen: eight concentrations across the columns, conditions or replicates down the six rows, controls in a fixed column. It is obvious while you pipette it and genuinely ambiguous a day later, especially once the plate has been rotated on a shaker or read upside down in a notebook sketch. The map takes two minutes and settles every later argument about what a result means. For culture work, record the seeding density and the day of seeding on the map; at 48 wells those two facts explain most odd results later.
How to use the map
The map file is a grid, rows A to F and columns 1 to 8, with header fields for plate ID, date, operator, and assay. Mark the fixed positions first: controls, blanks, and the dose or condition layout, before samples go anywhere. The sample list file is the long form, one row per well for sample ID, contents, concentration, volume, and notes, which pastes cleanly into a lab notebook, a LIMS, or an analysis script.
Related guides
Common questions
Is the template compatible with Excel and Google Sheets?
Yes. The map and sample list download as Excel workbooks, and CSV versions sit at the same paths with a .csv extension. Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice open either format directly.
How do I lay out a dose response on a 48 well plate?
Use the grid dimensions: eight concentrations across the columns with six conditions or replicates down the rows, or a 6 by 8 block of conditions in triplicate with controls. Put the vehicle control in a fixed column on every plate so runs stay comparable, and write the layout on the map before pipetting, not from memory after.