I have seams on the front and back of all 4 corners of my cooktop. IMO they are invisible and I have no concerns regarding them. If your fabricator does a good job it should not matter where the seams are.
Can you see the seams in this picture?

No and it looks very nice but mine granites absolute black and think no harm indenting ( was cabinetmakers suggestion) - just wondering if one middle seam or two would be better for how homes sometimes shift.

Our current townhouse countertops have 4" backsplash with atop it wood bullnose. At one end of it, trims still attached to wall but not to backsplash (1/4" gap between them).

Also have relative whos seam in middlfe front of sink has shifted.

If granite shifts but not dramatically to be problem, would prefer it being out of view but more importantly wanting to know whether one middle or two separated seams would be structurally better.

With a competent fabricator, you shouldn't have to worry about it holding up.

I would template based on stone pattern personally.

Badgergal- I can see the front two seams but not the back two due to backsplash reflection but I don't think it looks bad. Your kitchen is one of my favorites!!

Jaynes123:

I would put the seams as pictured in your top drawing. I'd make them soft seams too, with color matched silicone, not polyester, epoxy, or methelmethacrylate. Those strips are just too narrow to to not expect failure. Better to have a flexible joint that always looked planned than a crack or a fixed crack that doesn't.

Like electric wire towers in fields - short ones have wide bases to keep them from bending in strong winds. Tall ones have narrow bottoms and are secured with wires letting them sway in winds and not resist higher stronger winds.

I suspect one or two seams would be better than the other in the long run, maybe overthinking, post Sandy think you just try to proactively preventative.

You're overthinking it. #1 is the way to go. The rest involve unnecessary risk of breakage during fabrication and transport.

Actually Texas-gem, the seams are at the corners, the darker area in the middle of the first picture I posted is just a reflection or something. Thank you though for the compliment.

Here pencil tip is pointing to the seams.

OH!!!!! My apologies!! I can't even really see them with you pointing them out. That's awesome!

Sorry, I am a little confused. The OP has 3 choices posted, right? There's the top plan which is not numbered, then there's plan #1, then #2. So are people recommending the top plan when they say "#1" or "top", or are they recommending the plan that says "#1" on it? I also didn't understand Jayne123's second post - which one are you preferring in that post?

This post was edited by shannonplus2 on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 8:40

Shannon - Im jaynes123 and wasnt recommending, I am OP asking the question.

Badger - but your back seams are not at corners like my original or pink line on attached - they are indented like yellow lines of attached, which I was saying for my option #1 example

Yep, people got confused. She has two choices. She doesn't want the first example because you can't get those corner seams as tight as a slab seam. The two choices will hide the seam, so it makes sense to go with one of them.

I think you need oldryder to answer your question about which choice is stronger. He's a fabricator and an engineer. My guess would be #1.

Interesting about your relative's front sink seam shifting as the house settled. People swear up and down here that a small front sink seam is better than a long countertop seam.

Badgergal's seams are done as in the top diagram, that you say you don't want. The cooktop extends past the seam line of the cutout, so it appears to be your #1 choice. It it has a curve to the "leg" it's very very slight.

It's the unnumbered choice that is the one that I would recommend, and the one that I believe that Treb and Holly are also recommending.

Mine is done like the very first option. Looks great to me.

"I think you need oldryder to answer your question about which choice is stronger."

It isn't a matter of strength, it's a matter of philosophy and you have to pick which camp you're in. Either you believe you can make it strong enough to be installed and never fail despite the movement houses are subject to, or you decide not to fight that movement and accommodate it.

A seam that small and far from view will be highly inconspicuous especially when the appliance is installed.