When it comes to customizing your keeb, as enthusiasts we know that every little detail counts, whether it’s hand lubing and filming your switches or adding or subtracting case foam. Anything you change will affect your typing feel and sound! One factor that often gets overlooked is the shape and style of your keycaps and how they affect the not only the aesthetics but also, the sound and feel. So, let's dive into this topic and explore how different keycap profiles can completely change the vibe of your typing experience!
The Basics:
First of all, let me quickly explain a few terms that are common when talking about keycaps:
- OEM: or original equipment manufacturer, stands for the parts or components that will generally come standard with a keyboard. There is also an OEM keycap profile which we will go into detail about later.
- Profile: This refers to the shape of a keycap set, some profiles will be uniform where all rows are the same and others will have varying heights and shapes. With rows, they are often represented as R1, R2, R3 etc. with R1 referring to the top most row of the keyboard.
Please note that some profiles will have multiple rows of the same height and in that case, they may be explained as R1, R1, R2, R3, R3 for example - Sculpted Face: sculpting refers to the cutout of the face of a keycap. A keycap with no sculpting will have a flat surface whilst, a keycap that is sculpted will generally either have a slight bowl (spherical) shape or even as if a cylinder has been cut out of the keycap (Cylindrical).
- Sculpted Profile: To make things even more confusing there are also sculpted profiles which have different heights between rows, this is compared to uniform or flat profiles, where as the name implies all rows are the same.
- ABS: ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene; this is a very common plastic and most OEM keycaps will come in ABS. ABS is generally slightly shiny and smoother than PBT.
- PBT: or Polybutylene terephthalate, is also a common keycap material, it is generally more matte than ABS and slightly textured.
- Single-Shot: This refers to keycaps that when moulded only use 1 shot of plastic, meaning, that the keycap is one solid piece. Most single-shot keycaps will be dye-sub printed.
- Dye-sublimation printing: or Dye-sub for short refers to a printing method that will use heat to transfer a dye onto the plastic, using this method will allow for complex designs, although, as the dye chemically bonds with the plastic it can sometimes come out less vibrant than intended depending on the colour of the plastic.
- Double-Shot: Double shot refers to keycaps that are made from 2 separate pieces that combine to make one keycap. Generally, one piece will form the shell and the other will display the legend.
- Legend: refers to the text or lettering on a keycap, this can be in various different fonts, languages or a combination of many. The legend on some keycaps will also include novelty keys, which may have interesting designs or unique symbols on them to add some individuality to your keyboard.
- Artesian Keycaps: These are unique keycaps that are generally limited run small batch keycaps with detailed design and can come in a range of materials that aren’t always commonly used. Generally, these are more aesthetic than functional.
A Quick Note:
I also want to quickly mention that like modifying your car or anything else in life, this hobby is all about personal preference and that there are no right or wrong answers. Don’t let other people’s opinions get in the way of your enjoyment. I will however, try and give pros and cons of a few common profiles and materials to help you decide when buying your first set.
My Suggestions:
Now we’ve got the terms and preamble out of the way we can now get into the meat and potatoes of keycaps!
So, when first starting your journey into custom keebs you might be overwhelmed by all the different profile options and materials, and from a quick google of best keycaps most pages will point you in the direction of Cherry profile keycaps, they will also say that that double-shot PBT are the best. There are many reasons for this but I believe it is mainly because Cherry profile has been around for a long time, are considered some of the best for gaming due to their size and comfort, and are fairly easy to obtain. They are smaller than an OEM keycap yet maintain a similar level of sculpting in both height and face so they feel familiar. But if you have made your way here to What the Thock in search of answer you may be looking for something a little more unique or a differing opinion.
So, what are the cherry profiles lacking that you are hoping you can get out of another set of keycaps? For me it was the size and sound! After hours spent watching YouTube of various sound tests, looking at photos of other peoples builds, and going down to the local electronics store to try some of their display keebs, the cherries just didn’t cut it, through my research I found that I liked the look of larger fuller keycaps that had deeper sounds, and eventually I found a few profiles that I really enjoyed typing and gaming on. So below we are going to go through a couple of different keycap options and as mentioned above give a few pros and cons. The keycaps I have chosen for this article have been selected for differing intended purposes:
- Comfortable for Typing (CSA)
- Very Thocky (XDA)
- Small Faces (Cherry Profile)
- Jack of all Trades (KAT)
- Tall Boys (SA)
- OEM
Comfortable for typing (CSA): CSA profile is a near OEM height (slightly taller) Spherical set and for me this has been the most comfortable typing experience as the near OEM height feels very natural, and the spherical profile and faces make all keys easy to locate. As for sound I find it quite pleasant, I would consider them to make a more marbly or creamy sound over pure thock, but this will also depend on the thickness and material (we will explain this a little further towards the end). CSA is not the most common keycap so you may find them difficult to find in your ideal theme however, they are generally fairly affordable and there still is a large variety of colours available.
Very Thocky (XDA): If you don’t care about type feel, don’t mind a large face and just want the Thockiest of the Thockiest then look no further than XDA. XDA are slightly shorter than the average OEM keycap, have a uniform profile, and a slightly cylindrically sculpted face. Due to the fact that they are all the same shape with no variance the sound is very consistent and generally very thocky. In my opinion you will not find a thockier keycap than a high-quality single-shot PBT XDA keycap. XDA are extremely common these days and share a wide variety of pricing, you should be able to find a set that suit your theme no matter how weird or whacky. For me they are not the most comfortable to type on, and they are not my favourite to game on either due the lack of profile sculpting (this may not be an issue with keyboards that have more angle, mine is very flat) but my partner does not have this issue and doesn’t mind them.
Small faces (Cherry Profile): Cherry profiles as mentioned are one of the most famous and widely spread keycaps available. I must mention though that not all cherry profiles are built the same and some may not work with north facing switches (I have not personally experienced this however I have not owned many cherry profile sets). For most, Cherry profile keycaps are like the classic pair of jeans that never go out of style. They've got a gentle slope and a cylindrical shape that strikes a good balance between comfort and style. The shape affects the sound, giving you a satisfying click, clack or slight thock, and they are fairly comfortable to type on. Also, due to their popularity it is very easy to get a set for a reasonable price and they are available in almost any colour scheme/material choice you could want.
Jack of all Trades (KAT): The KAT or Keyreative All Touch profile is very similar to the CSA however once again is slightly taller, they also were specifically made by Keyreative with sound in mind so they make quite a pleasant sound. Having both face and profile sculpting they are easy very easy to type on if you like that. The looks might not be for everyone as their sidewalls are a slightly different shape to most other keycaps however, they were designed this way in order to sound a certain way. Although I put this as the Jack of all trades, they may not suit everyone’s tastes. They are reasonably accessible these days although not as common as the other styles on this list. If you can’t find them in the colour or material you want, I would suggest looking at the CSA as an alternative.
Tall Boys (SA): SA Profile (Spherical All) are the most classic Sculpted keycaps and are all about that sculpted shape, giving off a bit of a retro vibe with their inverted bowl look. They can be comfy to type on with their sculpting, be warned though, that their height may cause discomfort if used on a flatter keyboard with no palm rest. The tall profile however, adds a nice tactile feel and affects the sound, giving you a distinct note with every tap. I would consider these a very creamy sounding keycap in general. The look will be very divisive with some loving and some hating however, these days they are fairly obtainable with many color options to suit your theme.
OEM Profile: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) keycaps are your everyday workhorse. These are what you'll find on most off-the-shelf keyboards. They've got a slightly curved top and a moderate height, making them a reliable choice for everyday typing. They might not stand out as much, but they get the job done comfortably. Most people will have experienced these, and I have put them on the list because if nothing else tickles your pickle you can still look to get an upgraded OEM set. There are many aftermarket OEM kits available with various different colours and material choices and often they will be extremely affordable as well. They may not give you a unique feel or typing experience but they can still add some personality to your keeb and if you get a nice PBT set it may add a little thockiness too.
Materials and Sound:
Now we have our suggestions out of the way I will briefly touch on the different material choices and why you might go one way or the other. We will have another blog coming out soon that will go into further detail as this is already a very long post. So please refer to the dot points below as a quick reference when choosing what material to go for:
- Single-shot dye-sub PBT will give the deepest sound and potentially the most thock
- Double-shot ABS and PBT will be the most durable (legend will never fade)
- PBT generally will be deeper sounding and thockier than ABS
- High quality ABS will still look, feel and sound amazing although will still always be shiner than PBT.
- Always read reviews where possible as some cheaper sets have been known to be warped or have poor fitment.
- Not all keycaps are built to the same specs and some may be thinner or thicker, in my opinion always try find a thick set as they will provide a less hollow sound.
Finally, ABS and PBT are not the only materials available although I would say they are the most common. These days there are many sets now coming out in unique materials such as ceramic, metal, rubber and even wood. These all have different pros and cons but if you are going for your first set, I would recommend steering clear unless they appear to be exactly what you are chasing. The other thing to mention is Artesian keycaps, these are super unique keycaps that will give your keyboard a bit of personal flare, again this will just add some uniqueness to your keyboard however, they can be extremely expensive and difficult to acquire but, if you do manage to get your hands on one, they can really tie a theme together.
In conclusion:
As I mentioned, building a custom keyboard is all about personal taste, I highly recommend going and trying as many keyboards as you can with as many different keycap materials, shapes and styles to find what you truly like as at the end of the day everything can sound amazing on paper but, once you actually get it, it may not give you the experience you thought you would get. With that being said though I do hope this blog gives you a starting point on where to look, and if you are still unsure always feel free to contact our friendly support team for further advice and information!
If you made it all this way, thank you for reading and happy Thocking!
Jake Rees
Co-Founder What the Thock