384 well plate map template
At 384 wells, nobody reconstructs a layout from memory. Two free CSV files, no signup, they open in Excel and Google Sheets.
Mapping matters more at 384 than at any other format. The wells are small, the count is high, and one transposed row in a plate file quietly relabels 24 samples at once. A map you fill in before the run, and check against the handler file after, is the difference between a rerun and a retraction.
Download the plate map template (CSV)
Download the sample list template (CSV)
Why 384 punishes a missing map
Four 96 well plates usually consolidate into one 384 plate, often in quadrants. If the consolidation order is not written down, the mapping between the source plates and the destination wells exists only in one person's head, and it leaves when they do. Small wells also hide errors visually: you cannot glance at a 384 plate and see that two samples swapped. The map is the record that lets you audit a strange result back to a specific well instead of repeating the whole screen.
How to use the map
The map file is a grid, rows A to P and columns 1 to 24, with header fields for plate ID, date, operator, and assay. Mark blanks, standards, and controls first, in fixed positions you reuse across runs. If you are consolidating 96 well plates, note which quadrant each source plate occupies (A1 style positions in the 384 layout). 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 LIMS, a handler worklist, or an analysis script.
Related guides
Common questions
Is the template compatible with Excel and Google Sheets?
Yes. Both files 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 map four 96 well plates into one 384?
Use interleaved quadrants: the first source plate fills positions such as A1, A3, C1, C3 across the grid, the second fills the offset positions beside them, and so on. Note the quadrant assignment in the map header so the layout can be reversed later.