Custom keycaps: materials, designs and finishes

For the most fanatic users, buying a quality keyboard is often not enough and they consider the possibility of giving them a special touch. That is why today we bring you this mini guide of personalized keycaps to get out of doubt, let's go there!

Index of contents

What are keycaps

A quick introduction for the clueless. Keycaps are the button covers under which the switch mechanism is located. Generally they are made of plastics of different qualities but if things get out of hand we can find models made with resin and even wood, among others. This distinction reveals that there is a difference between cheap and common materials in their production, as well as a certain air of "craftsmanship" for the most enthusiastic.

This is a world dominated by mechanical keyboards, but we also can't rule out chimeras like the mecha-membrane switches in the equation. Keycaps for membrane keyboards instead… not so many.

Common materials

We start with the market leaders. We have considered three although the thing is closely fought between the first two.

ABS

This is the most common material in manufacturers of keyboard keycaps. ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is a very versatile polymer, characterized by its low weight and low production cost. However, this for many users can trigger an unsatisfactory touch when using them together with the slimy touch that they can adopt over time. They also have a certain tendency for characters to disappear, especially if they are stamped.

• It is the most widely used polymer in the keycap industry Cheap to manufacture The lightest Sharp and dry click

Feicuan 37 Keys Cap Cover Case ABS Colorful Replacement Keycap Universal for Mechanical Keyboard -Light Color, Top Print 37 Keys Keycap, keyboard not included.; Easy to Use - Comes with a keycap puller, convenient to pull key caps. 13.49 EUR

PBT

PBT or Polybutylene Terephthalate has gained strength over the years compared to ABS. This is because the keys used with this thermoplastic are thicker and tend to offer better resistance and less wear over the years. It is more expensive, but also more reliable than ABS. It is currently the star material in keycaps and a safe bet.

• It is more expensive to produce The keys have a higher weight They are more resistant to long-term use. Produces a deeper dry sound

YMDK 96 ANSI - Button Keys Set for Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard YMD96 RS96 White Gray Red The key ring is made of durable PBT material, the thickness is about 1.5mm. 22.08 EUR

PBT vs. ABS: The Eternal Struggle

On the left, PBT. Right, ABS.

Given that both ABS and PBT are the most widely used rival materials on the market, it is understandable that doubts arise about how relevant the differences between them are. The devil is in the details, so let's take a closer look at the keycaps. Indeed ABS is cheaper to produce and roughly allows to obtain the same results and qualities as PBT:

• Similar weight and feel. They can be made with double injection for backlight. Used by the best-known companies on the market. Variety of colors and opacity: from matte to translucent.

Now, not everything was going to be rosy. The intrinsic problem of ABS is in its wear. Keycaps made purely from this material tend to take on a shiny finish over time due to grease from the fingers. Double mold injection in ABS also tends to be thinner, so it is common for characters to be blurred on the keys for this very reason.

Be careful there. It won't be all terrible either. Many heavyweights like Razer or Logitech don't use ABS lightly. We can also find keycaps made with this material that have a greater thickness and even texture that replicates the PBT. These strategies allow you to add longevity to the keys without additional costs.

As you can see, here we talk purely about aesthetic aspects. Obviously, nothing mentioned above affects the operation of the switches.

Are your keycaps ABS or PBT?

If you have never been aware of which is which, input is easy. The keys made with PBT usually have it specified in the original box since it is generally a source of pride and proof of quality in the manufacturing materials. Another option if you don't keep the box is to fill a glass of water and drop the keycaps. Due to their density, the keys made of PBT should sink to the bottom, while the ABS ones will float close to the surface.

Of course, there may be exceptions. Custom ABS or double-layer backlit keys can also sink due to increased weight. The check that we have indicated works 100% reliably in keycaps without double injection but what is certain is that the PBT will never float under any circumstances.

Finally in the aesthetic aspect there are subtle differences. Keycaps made from PBT have a slightly rough feel, like a kind of light grain. ABS instead has a generally smooth finish, although we can find models that replicate a PBT effect that makes us hesitate. Ultimately the best thing we can do to get out of doubt is to identify the model of our keyboard and take a look at the official website of the manufacturer.

Pudding

Okay, yes, technically this is not a material in itself. Pudding-type keycaps have a curious peculiarity: they have a translucent double-layer design. The upper area is matte while the sides allow light to escape and obtain more shine. This format can be found with both ABS and PBT and is known by the HyperX brand.

• Boost backlight Both ABS and PBT can be purchased

HyperX HXS-KBKC4 Translucent Double Shot PBT Gaming Keycaps, Compatible with Gaming Mechanical Keyboards, Includes Key Extractor, White (US Layout) Translucent design for brilliant RGB lighting; Made of double layer of durable pbt material 24.99 EUR

TPR

These keycaps are a relatively recent development. They are made with a rubber lining on an ABS structure that we can also find transparent to allow RGB backlighting. Due to the plastic layer, generally with a fluted or rough touch, it is possible that the keys made with this procedure stand out above the others, so we must watch the format and height.

• More expensive than conventional ABS. They are usually sold in packs. They can stand out compared to the other keys. They improve grip.

Rubber Key Set for Cherry MX OEM Mechanical Keypads compatible with Neon Orange Key Extractor Interface Type: USB, Bluetooth, USB / PS / 2.; Operating style: mechanical.; Keyboard: standard 104 keys.

Rare materials

Oddities are everywhere, although we quite like them. They have personality.

Resin

Tired of single-color keys or an ordinary design? Well, these are going to enchant you. Resin keys are usually very few on keyboards due to the high cost of their elaboration. Generally landscapes or custom drawings are created inside the mold that we can see in a three-dimensional effect.

• Handcrafted Unique designs Much more expensive They usually do not have the characters engraved Their transparency with backlight depends on the model

All Decor Gaming Keycaps - Resin Aluminum Keychain with Hand Engraving for Mechanical Keyboard (Cherry switches) Volcano Black Double shot keys for transparent backlight.; Hand-engraved resin relief

Wood

This is quite unconventional and brings a bit of a hipster touch to keyboards. Generally we can see this type of switch on very small keyboards given its price or with a naturalistic aesthetic. The wood used can vary, although elm and walnut are the most common.

• They do not usually have the characters engraved They are more prone to imperfections Quite expensive

LZY Wood Keycap Solid Walnut Wood Keycap New Keycaps Space Bar Esc Arrow Keys Oem Profile for Cherry Mx Mechanical Keyboard, WASD Arrow Esc 9 Key, This link is the keys only, not include keyboard. 74.50 EUR

Stainless steel

Yes, it is not very common but you can find steel keycaps. It is probably the heaviest model in this entire list, apart from resin keycaps, and they usually have laser-cut characters. Keycaps like these will last us a lifetime, it is metal after all, but they bring their disadvantages. They are more sensitive to temperatures than plastic (they get hotter and cooler) and they also do not offer the most optimal grip due to sweat. That said, they are luxurious.

• Extremely resistant. Laser cut characters. They don't offer the best grip. Amplify the thermal sensation.

Fitlink FPS & MOBA Gaming Keycaps, WASD QWERDF Durable, customizable, removable stainless steel keyboard keys with key extractor compatible with mechanical keyboard QWERASDF Keys Silver QWERASDF Wide compatibility: compatible with all mechanical keyboards.

Very rare materials

PC

PC or polycarbonate is a strong, transparent plastic that is used to make the keys completely translucent (rather than "clear" with ABS). They are generally intended for designs that seek to provide a different identity to keyboards or to enhance RGB backlight to the extreme. It is widely used by the manufacturer Signature Plastics.

Pay attention there, that you can also find translucent ABS keycaps (that are not transparent). Ojito to the material!

• Very bright They can make it difficult to read the characters

Max keyboard - Translucent MX Key Set for ESC, W, A, S, D or E, S, D, F and Arrows

PVC

We all know about polyvinyl chloride: it is similar to ABS, but more sensitive to heat. This is a plastic whose use is in reverse due to its easy deterioration compared to the others.

POM

Also known as polyoxymethylene. It has slightly better properties than PBT but its manufacturing price is even higher. Due to the low quality difference, the industry favors the use of PBT due to the lower production cost. The appearance, weight and feel of this type of keys is very similar.

In all keycaps made with plastic materials we can find double injection models. This is commonly the case to allow a perforated layer with the silhouette of the characters visible in backlight.

Technical specifications

Given all the above and if you already have in mind the type of keycap you want to acquire, here are the keys to important aspects that you should take into account before launching to buy.

Switch compatibility

The industry standard is governed by Cherry MX. Both major peripheral brands and other switch manufacturers try to produce designs compatible with their switches to facilitate production.

The assembly design for these keycaps consists of a Plus (+) shaped segment that protrudes from the rest of the part and is where the button fits. Some of the marks that follow this gear are:

• Cherry MX Razer Kailh Gateron Outemu

Other less common assembly formats that require specific keycaps are found with brands such as:

• Alps Topre

Key layout: ANSI and ISO

This is something you may not think about at first but it is essential to keep in mind when buying new keycaps. Here in Spain we use the ISO distribution for keys. This implies details such as that the Enter button is more vertical, shift occupies the space of a key and a half or two keys and the position of our punctuation marks also vary.

Punctuation marks are an aspect that is also subject to our language, but if you want to have a key with Ñ as such, you should keep this type of details in mind before buying.

Key heights

Well to put buttons of other colors, with custom designs or other material it is inevitable that doubts arise about the compatibility when it comes to finding custom keycaps. nOther point to keep in mind when acquiring your custom keycaps is knowing the height required for your keyboard. This is on the mechanical and mecha-membrane keyboards and they are divided into high, medium and low profile.

The type of profile and shape of the keycap itself can vary between brands, so it is advisable to look at our keyboard to know which of the most popular it belongs to to buy the correct type of keycap. In turn, we must also know to which of the rows the key we need belongs. These rows are sorted with R1 as the top and space as the last. The silhouette of all keycaps will be identical within the same row. The available profile models are:

• SA: (high profile) MIX 1.0: (high profile) OEM: (mid profile) CHERRY: (mid profile) XDA: (low profile) DSA: (low profile)

Typefaces

In general, the fonts used in the keycaps are stick or Sans Serif in capital letters to facilitate reading. You will find many similarities between marks regarding the size of the characters, but they can vary in thickness. For example, if you use a backlit keyboard and really enjoy the light effects, thicker characters will delight you.

It is also possible that in specific brands such as Ducky One you will find designs for exclusive keycaps of the same that are part of the identity of the same. This especially applies to logos on the Esc key for example.

Each company usually chooses carefully the typeface and signs used to make it somewhat recognizable against the competition.

Character stamping

We cannot talk about typography and not mention how it is fixed to keycaps. There are three fundamental methods and all of them depend both on production costs and aspects such as the base color of the switches themselves.

Print

The cheapest of the three and therefore the one we find in the cheapest keyboards on the market. This method with the technical name of pad printing consists of fixing the character on the key with a thermoplastic paint. It is also the stamping system that offers the least durability since it is susceptible to being erased due to the natural grease of our hands.

To be

The vast majority of backlit keyboards have laser-made characters. The method consists of the key (previously transparent) being completely dyed black, to later laser remove this layer to expose the first layer in the shape of the character in question. Generally used more with ABS than PBT.

Had

More used in PBT than ABS, dyeing by sublimation consists of injecting the ink into the keycap through a heat pressing process. The tactile difference in texture is minimal and the relief disappears with use although the character remains. It is the most durable stamping system next to the laser.

ASHAMA 108 Dual Backlit PBT Trigger Key Names, Tint Sub MX Switches OEM Mechanical Keyboard Profile Key Covers, Artist Key Names, Blue This key key is thick sublimation ink PBT..

Other data of interest

Fantasy designs

Looking for keycaps that don't look like keys? Then fantasy designs are for you. They have become very popular in recent years thanks to the existence of pages where private designers offer unique models for sale. Of course, go preparing the portfolio.

These types of keycaps, like those of resin, are not intended to fill our keyboard with them unless you have a good budget and also you know the position of each character to the finger since they do not usually reserve space for symbols. As additional information, most do not support backlighting on their surface. They usually serve a rather decorative function and we can consider that they are in a way collectible. Depending on the seller, we can even make custom orders specifically for us.

Kits size

In the same way that we can buy complete keyboard sets with 104 or 86 keys, there are also smaller format kits, it all depends on the type of keycap you are looking to replace.

• ABS, PBT and Pudding: We can generally buy them in full keyboard formats, both 100% and TKL (without numeric keypad). Both matte and backlit preparations are available. TPR, Wood and Stainless Steel: It is common to find them in gaming-oriented sets that contain the usual WASDs along with directional or numeric keys. Full keyboards are difficult, but there are a variety of colors. Resin and fantasy designs: here things get a little more complicated. We can find keycaps of this type for sale both individually and in very small packs. However, the catalog of designs is the most extensive and original, although also the most expensive.

Colors

We already told you before, but you can find keycaps in many different colors. You can choose between translucent or matte colored keys. It is also common for the color to be applied by sublimation since it is more practical to dye the keys to apply color to the plastic.

However, we must monitor the thickness of this paint layer and the material, since it will offer better durability if they are PBT keycaps than ABS.

There is also the advantage that we can buy key sets that include specific color palettes in their catalog, being able to form patterns with shapes or chromatic gradients.

O-Rings

The rubber rings are an extra of personalization that does not affect the aesthetic section but the mechanism. Right between the switch and the keycap we can place an O-Ring so that our mechanical keyboard generates less noise. This is a modification that is not to everyone's liking but is usually ideal for people looking for a click noise reduction without sacrificing their mechanical keyboard for a membrane one.

The buttons will now offer some rubbery resistance to pulsation, so you may need to exert a little more force until they soften with use.

The O-Rings we can buy both white, translucent or black. The first two options are usually the desirable alternatives for backlit keys.

120 Noise Dampener / O-Ring / Rubber keyboard dampers Key illumination (LEDs) for Cherry MX, Corsair MX and Kailh MX Key color: CLEAR, Hardness: SMOOTH (Shore 45A) Shock absorbers significantly reduce the sound of keystroke. 8.99 EUR

Where to buy custom keycaps

You wouldn't think we were going to get your teeth long and go pink, right? We already mentioned before that currently both companies and individuals provide a vast catalog to choose from within the world of keycaps. Here are some of the best known internationally:

Remember that there may be suppliers with restrictions on shipping countries or high customs prices. Watch this when buying on the sidelines of details such as currency exchange.

Conclusions about custom keycaps

After reading this article and assimilating all the information, we can really appreciate how complex the world of keyboards and keycaps can be. Actually, many of us stay only on the surface when buying a new keyboard since we may not value the personalized aesthetic aspect at such a level.

In this case we put in your hands a broad perspective if you plan to start the journey since we can often not realize the relevance that the shape or materials of the keys may have. However, we must remind you once again that the more extravagant or peculiar the design, the more the price tends to rise. Special resin, fantasy or metal keys can range in price from € 3 to € 30, so keep that in mind.

We recommend reading the best keyboards

Apart from reminding you to look at the compatibility of your switches, keyboard height and key layout, we only have to remind you. We hope this guide has been useful to you and if you have any questions, leave us a comment. Until next time!