The appearance and visual interest of flat panels can be enhanced by adding a third dimension using profiled MDF shapes planted onto their surfaces. These decorative treatments can be used to good effect on kitchen and bedroom doors and drawer fronts, display cabinets, bed headboards and reproduction furniture items.

Wood veneered MDF mouldings or shapes can be adhesive bonded to the surfaces of wood veneered panels to create a raised profile. In order to maintain the flatness of the shapes, both faces of the MDF should be veneered. Large shapes should be bonded in position with polyvinyl acetate (PVAC) adhesive using a flat plate press or lost head panel pins to maintain pressure while the adhesive sets. The exposed edges of the shapes can be sealed and stained to match the colour of the surface veneer. Alternatively, they can be stained to a darker shade before fixing to create a decorative feature.

Small section wood veneer or foil wrapped MDF mouldings are often fixed to the surfaces of kitchen and bedroom doors and drawer fronts to create a framed panel effect or as a decorative feature. Double sided adhesive tape has been used successfully for these applications.

Where a paint finish is required, MDF shapes and profiles, without prior surface treatment, can be adhesive bonded to unfinished MDF panels. An improved paint finish over the whole panel however will be obtained by presealing the exposed edges of any shapes or profiles before fixing to the panel surfaces.