One of the most important parts of a set of keycaps is the text on top of them. Even if you already know where your keys are, they bring a sense of character and style to the keyboard, whether you prefer them centered, oriented to one side, or not there at all.
The text on top of keycaps is referred to as “legends,” and the secondary text on a keycap is the “sub-legend.” The main legends will denote the primary function of the keys, while sub-legends will indicate a secondary function, a different language, or a callback to another keyboard with interesting sub-legends (like Space Cadet keycaps). There are countless details and specifics on how the legends can be designed and why they may look a certain way, but it ultimately comes down to personal preference and use case. What’s more important here is how the text is put onto the keycaps.
Doubleshot: Often considered the gold standard of keycap legends, doubleshot legends will never fade or wear off. This is because the legend is made from plastic instead of being printed onto the keycap. This is done through a two-part injection molding process where the legend is cast in one color of plastic then the rest of the keycap is molded around it, resulting in a legend that goes all the way through the keycap instead of eventually wearing away as the keycap is worn down by typing. The largest benefits of these keycaps are the crispness of the legends, their durability, and the ability to easily combine high-contrast colors, but the cost of making new molds means the options for different fonts and icons are limited compared to printed keycaps, and high-end doubleshot keycaps are often more expensive than other options. While doubleshot legends were previously only available for ABS keycaps, they are now available with PBT keycaps too.
Tripleshot: For keycaps with differently colored sub-legends, a tripleshot keycap is a great option that is incredibly hard to find and more expensive than doubleshot legends. Only a few manufacturers currently produce tripleshot keycaps (such as Domikey and PBTfans), and they are limited almost entirely to Japanese sub-legends.
Dye sublimation: This is the most common printing method for PBT keycaps. Dye sublimation can fully impress the dye into the keycap instead of having it sit on top, much like dyeing a piece of clothing, creating a finish that will rarely wear away. This process can also produce incredibly vibrant and precise legends, which has allowed for fun and unusual keycap sets like RGBEnglish and 21KB’s Rainbow Road keycaps. While dye sublimation can last a long time, it can have some downsides. The quality of the legends can vary greatly, with higher-end keycaps looking indistinguishable from doubleshot keycaps, but less expensive options appearing fuzzy or blurry. In addition, dye sublimation—much like any other dyeing process—can usually only apply colors darker than the base material. This is why most dye-sublimated keycaps will either have a lighter base color or will only print black on top of darker keycaps.
Reverse dye sublimation: Reversing this process allows for the entire keycap except for the legends to be dyed, which can create dark keycaps with light legends. However, this process is more difficult than standard sublimation, with mixed results over the years. Some sets of reverse dye-sub keycaps will look fantastic, but other times they will have fading around the edges, inconsistent color coverage, or issues with the sharpness of the legends. In addition, the printing is more susceptible to scratches than raw PBT. However, when done right, reverse dye-sub can create unique color schemes not otherwise possible with dye sublimation.
UV printing: While not as common today as it used to be, UV printing is still popular for creating vibrant, multicolored text on keycaps. UV printing is primarily found on GMK keycaps with unique or multicolored sub-legends, where it is used to add color or design to a key without the need to manufacture additional molds. This printing method has a higher likelihood of fading over time, and can potentially have a slightly raised feel when typing but it has advanced enough in recent years that any well-made set of keycaps with UV printing will still work well for regular use. UV printing is also commonly used for transparent keycaps with solid legends.
Pad printing: This is the method basically all budget-oriented office keyboards today use. In this method, the prints are applied directly onto the keycaps using a silicone pad and sit on top of the keycaps. Inexpensive pad-printed keycaps will typically have subtle outlines around the legends and will wear away quickly compared to any other method. However, this printing method is both high-resolution and inexpensive, hence its popularity.
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