Keyboard Keycap Character Printing Technologies

Laser Engraved Keycaps

Uses a laser to engrave characters on the surface of the keycap, then fills the grooves with ink to create the characters. This manufacturing process makes the keycap characters extremely durable and resistant to wear and fading.

Its downside is that it is difficult to produce (hence very few keycap sets are manufactured this way) and hard to clean, as dust can accumulate in the grooves and require extensive cleaning.

Keycap Doubleshot

This is a character printing method on keycaps that is nearly indestructible, as the characters on a Doubleshot keycap would only wear off if the entire surface of the keycap were to wear down, which is practically impossible.

Keycap Doubleshot is molded from two separate color layers, one for the keycap and the other for the characters. Essentially, this is not an

Dye-sub Keycap

Dye-sub is a printing technology that uses heat to transfer dye onto the surface of the keycap, allowing the dye to penetrate and bind with the material.

The advantages of dye-sub printing include extremely durable and sharp text. However, this process can only be done on PBT keycaps (as ABS keycaps easily deform under heat), making it difficult to implement (hence dye-sub keycaps tend to be more expensive). Dye-sub can only print dark text, and it is challenging to create contrast between the text and the keycap on dark-colored keycaps (though there are exceptions).

Laser Keycap

There are two types: Laser etching (laser printing) and Laser engraving (laser engraving). This technology works well for straight text but can be challenging for complex characters. Some manufacturers that commonly use this technology include Apple, Cherry, and Matias.

• Laser Etching: This technology uses a laser to change the color of the keycap without deforming it or significantly affecting its structure. It is a method of printing text onto keycaps using a laser.
• Laser Engraving: Laser engraving technology uses a laser to create grooves on the keycaps. Some manufacturers leave it as is for a unique look, while others use ink to fill in and create characters in different colors. Some use other technologies to allow LEDs to shine through, creating very beautiful colors.

Pad Printing & a coating

Pad Printing is primarily used on ABS plastic due to its low cost and ease of implementation. This method involves using a pad with ink and pressing it onto the keycaps. The main issue with this method is that the printed characters can fade over time with heavy use. GMK provides an additional coating layer to increase the durability of the print.

The main advantage of Pad Printing is its low cost, ease of use, and ability to use any color for printing.