Substitutes include plywood, composition boards or synthetic laminates. Cabinet units can be framed or frameless. The face frames in traditional construction conceal cabinet edges, outline the doors and stiffen the cabinet. Framed cabinets also can feature full overlay doors which cover the face frame and give a frameless appearance.
Frameless construction attaches doors directly to sidewalls.
They simply are choices in construcion and appearance. In the past, frameless cabinets automatically meant laminated doors and drawer fronts, but today they are available in solid hardwoods as well.