Don’t Mix Keycap Sets Until You Read This

If in case you have a mechanical keyboard, you’ve most likely thought of mixing keycap units—whether or not it’s just a few accent keys or a full combine, it’s a enjoyable technique to make your board distinctive. Nonetheless, earlier than you start, let’s go over just a few key factors to make sure your combine is excellent.

Keycaps Are available in Completely different Shapes and Sizes

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Relying on how deep within the keyboard rabbit gap you’re, you would possibly know that keycaps are available many various so-called profiles. A keycap profile refers back to the normal form and peak of the keycap, which instantly impacts the way it feels whenever you kind. Contour, peak, and angle are a number of the most essential components to contemplate when selecting a set of keycaps.

The commonest profiles are OEM, Cherry, SA, DSA, and XDA. OEM and Cherry are seemingly those you are most accustomed to, as they’re the most well-liked. Each have a medium peak and a sculpted form that makes them snug to kind on. The primary distinction is that Cherry is slimmer, has a much less pronounced angle, and feels extra constant between rows, whereas OEM is barely taller with a barely steeper slope.

In distinction, XDA and DSA present a really totally different typing expertise. These keycaps have a uniform row peak and angle, giving a flatter, extra constant really feel throughout the keyboard. XDA is barely taller and has a bigger, extra spherical prime, offering extra floor space to your fingers, whereas DSA feels a bit snappier and extra exact.

The SA keycap profile is in a league of its personal. Similar to Cherry and OEM, SA keycaps are sculpted, however they’re considerably taller and chunkier. This helps them obtain a brilliant thocky sound profile, however SA keycaps can really feel difficult to kind on for some folks.

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Keep in mind, that is only a high-level overview of the most well-liked keycap profiles and may give you a reference level for getting different varieties, akin to KAT, MT3, MDA, ASA, and so forth. So long as your keyboard makes use of switches with a normal MX-style stem, these keycaps ought to be interchangeable.

The essential factor to know is that not all keycap profiles really feel good when you combine them blindly. For instance, shifting from a sculpted profile like Cherry to a flat one like XDA can really feel jarring, even when their relative peak is not drastically totally different.

This inconsistent peak between particular person keycaps or rows creates a tactile unevenness, sort of like a “wobbly staircase.” The space between rows feels uneven, and you will discover abrupt dips and peaks when typing rapidly. I’ve tried mixing all kinds of keycap profiles in numerous positions, and actually, it by no means felt as easy as utilizing a single profile throughout the board.

To complicate issues additional, even when an internet set claims to be a particular profile, it doesn’t at all times strictly match the scale of different units. Even just a few millimeters of distinction between adjoining keycaps can create an annoying tactile mismatch, which defeats the aim of blending profiles.

That is why I strongly advocate sticking to the identical keycap profile, and to keep away from producer discrepancies, stick to at least one producer you want, if doable.

Keycap Supplies and Finishes Don’t At all times Combine

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Whereas the keycap profile might be crucial factor to concentrate to when mixing and matching keycaps, it isn’t the one issue. Keycaps will be made out of many various supplies, with the most well-liked being PBT, ABS, and, to a a lot lesser extent, POM.

A couple of area of interest supplies like wooden, resin, and steel may also be used for keycaps, however these are usually reserved for one or two accent keys, akin to Esc and Enter (and people are normally wonderful to combine and match the way you please).

Whereas mixing the identical profile utilizing totally different supplies is okay, it isn’t going to make for a constant typing expertise as utilizing the identical sort of materials. ABS feels extra slippery, whereas PBT is normally extra matte.

Nonetheless, whereas the fabric is related for long-term put on, it alone does not absolutely decide the end when the keycaps are new. The producer can polish a grainy PBT keycap to really feel easy, or texture ABS to really feel extra like PBT when it is new. I personally do not like mixing supplies, as I discover it creates an disagreeable tactile really feel, however it’s not as dangerous an issue as mixing totally different profiles.

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Yet one more factor I ought to level out is the tactic used to use the legends (letters and symbols) onto the keycaps—akin to double-shot, dye-sub, UV printing, laser etching, and so forth. Whereas this does not matter that a lot, it is value noting that not all double-shot keycaps are made equal, which might have a drastic influence on the sound of the keycaps.

For instance, double-shot keycaps use two items of plastic: one for the legend and one for the outside. Some double-shot keycaps solely use a small piece of plastic on the prime for the legend, whereas others use a partial or full-injection double-shot course of, that means the 2 plastics are fused collectively all through, not simply on the prime.

To indicate you what I imply, evaluate these three kinds of keycaps within the image under.

Credit score: Ismar Hrnjicevic / How-To Geek

The explanation keycaps are made this manner is to avoid wasting materials and, subsequently, price. As you would possibly anticipate, a keycap with much less plastic is lighter and sounds extra hole, which is why it’s greatest to attempt to supply keycaps which can be absolutely injected, although figuring out the kind of injection from on-line listings alone isn’t at all times doable.

For those who don’t take note of this and blend, for instance, Cherry profile keycaps that appear and feel comparable on the floor however have totally different quantities of injection, you would possibly discover a delicate sound inconsistency from key to key that’s onerous to pinpoint. Now that you already know about this little-known quirk, it will likely be a lot simpler to make your keyboard sound constant all through.

Stick with One Product Line for Greatest Outcomes

Credit score: Ismar Hrnjicevic / How-To Geek

If you’re mixing keycaps, consistency is vital (pun meant). That is how you may get the most effective outcomes by way of sound, fashion, and really feel. To make your life simpler, purchase keycap units from the identical producer and, ideally, product line. This fashion, you may know all the pieces from the profile to the supplies and the legend utility is equal.

As an example, each the KeyKobo Sacred Timeline and KeyKobo Soju R2 are made by the identical producer, are double-shot ABS, and have Cherry profile keycaps. For those who like each units, you may purchase them and blend them nevertheless you want, and they’d nonetheless appear and feel constant.

Kind issue

Full-size

Keycaps

ABS

The KeyKobo Sacred Timeline is a Cherry profile ABS keycap set impressed by the TVA group from the Loki TV present. It options retro-futuristic novelties and Nineteen Seventies-inspired colours. The keycaps use triple-shot sublegends for the alphas, double-shot and pad-printed novelties, and are suitable with MX-style switches.

Mixing keycaps is a good way to convey new life to your mechanical keyboard. If you have already got just a few keycap units and wish to make do with what you’ve got, pay shut consideration to the nuances outlined above. This fashion, you’ll be able to create a keyboard that appears distinctive with out compromising typing really feel or sound. Have enjoyable swapping keycaps round!