YMDK Double Shot 108 Dyed PBT Shine Through OEM Profile Rainbow Carbon Sunset Keycap for MX Switches Mechanical Keyboard（Only Keycap） (Carbon)

Product Information

Next, you must determine your keyboard layout and key count. The two most common types are ANSI and ISO. ANSI is the de-facto U.S. standard, which has a flat enter key. ISO keyboards have a slightly taller enter key, as detailed by this comparison from the Deskthority wiki. As you can see in the image above, there are several different profiles and shapes of keycaps to select from. Getting a new keycap set for your keyboard is a very exciting first step and for many people is the push they need to fall into the rabbit hole of the mechanical keyboard hobby. PBT plastic is less common but is usually higher quality than ABS. ABS keycaps feel smooth and develop a greasy shine over time, while PBT keycaps feel textured and are more durable. The YMDK Side-Lit Shine-Through keycaps are an alternative to the normal YMDK Shine-Throughs that feature a popular aesthetic among enthusiasts: side print keycaps. This style, also called ninja print, uses blank tops and printed sides toachieve a minimalist aesthetic without being as challenging to use as a fully blank keyboard.

Sculpted is usually preferred by most people, as it makes typing feel more fluid but others may find the uniform profile feels or looks better for them. The uniform profile it typically found on enthusiast keycap sets with unique designs. The Best Keycap Profile for Gaming Drop CTRLwith Cherry Keycap Profile Best Colorful Pudding Keycaps: HK Gaming Pudding Keycaps come in a variety of colors, including two-tone colorways. Though upgrading the keycaps on your mechanical keyboard is fairly easy, there are a number of details that you must be mindful of when you are selecting your new keycaps. Some keycap sets are only for 65% or tenkeyless layouts, because the larger layouts will usually require more keys so they will cost more. If you’re confused about the different keyboard sizes, we have a guide here. Make sure your keycaps are for your keyboard size. ANSI vs ISO LayoutDouble shot keycaps are available in both PBT and ABS plastics. You can get these keycaps in many different colors such as the Pink Razer double-shot PBT keycaps. Pudding Keycaps Description: The XDA canvas keycaps from Drop and Mito are one of my absolute favorite keycap sets available right now. These keycaps are a little bit on the pricey side, but man are they awesome. The XDA profile is definitely unique and blast to type on. The legends are quite aesthetic and come with several different colored keycaps to customize the layout to your preference. These keycaps come with different size keyboard layouts, including tenkeyless, 65%, ortholinear, or 1800 compact with the price varying by the size of the layout. You can find these keycaps on Drop.com and view the products once you sign up. 14. Drop DSA Astrolokeys Keycaps Counting your keys is a matter of determining whether you have a full-size, tenkeyless, or 60% keyboard. But while many insist on having a uniform set of keys, there is nothing wrong with getting a smaller key set then mixing and matching with your existent keycaps (unless, of course, they have a totally different profile). The YMDK Side Lits come with 104 keys, making them suitable for ANSI keyboards that are full-size or smaller. They will not, however, fit ISO layout keyboards. The Miami color combination pictured is a personal favorite but they also come in a number of other styles. Dye-sub is printed onto the keycaps, which may make you think that the durability is not very good, but it is the most durable method besides double-shot.

There are many more profiles as well, they are just more uncommon are harder to get ahold of. You can see more variations in the picture below. The keycaps are what your going to be looking and typing on during the entire lifespan of your keyboard, so shouldn’t they be one of the nicest parts of the keyboard? If you’re using a gaming keyboard and want to install a pudding keycap set on it, make sure that the set you’re buying has the right keycaps for your keyboard’s bottom row. Closing Thoughts Generally, the best keycap style for gaming is the Cherry profile as they are sculpted to be efficient and comfortably pressed. ABS keycaps are the cheapest and most common plastic used for keycaps. ABS keycaps are mass produced because of how easily they are injection molded.There are a lot of different styles of keycaps sets out there so let’s go over some of the different options and features. What is the Best Keycap Material? Description: The Vortex Bi-Color Green is a keycap set that features a balance between green and white colors that looks aesthetic and natury. Reminds me of a long walk down a trail in the middle of a forest. The keycap set is compatible with full-size keyboards and comes in the ANSI layout, does not support ISO. The keycap set also features doubleshot PBT so you can shine your RGB lights through the keycaps in a clean way. You can find the Vortex Bi-Green on mechanicalkeyboards.com for a decent price. 19. GMK Red Samurai Custom Keycaps Photo by u/Fatboychard Double shot keycaps are made from a more complicated manufacturing process where two separate plastics are injection molded to make the keycap. If you’re looking to improve typing speed, try exploring other typing techniques or do regular speed tests to try and improve. One of the biggest differences between keycap profiles is whether the keycaps are sculpted or uniform. A uniform keycap has a flat surface and is not angled at all. Sculpted keycaps on the other hand, have a slight angle to help with typing to make is so you don’t need to stretch your fingers quite as far.