Keycaps are not only aesthetic, they are also crucial for good keyboard usability. Read more about it.
Keycaps

Our customized keycaps

The keycaps of our input devices do a lot more than just aesthetic demands. On the one hand, the design of the key caps contributes significantly to the overall look of the keyboard and is therefore used by us as a decorative element. However, the keycaps are also crucial for good keyboard usability and must therefore be designed to be user-friendly.

The ergonomics of the individual key caps play an important role. Our caps for our standard keyboards, whether made of plastic or stainless steel, are shaped so that the finger slides into the middle of the key when pressed and cannot slide outwards. This is the only way to work ergonomically on the keyboard, the tactile feedback of the switches is fully noticeable and wrong commands are avoided. We adapt the size and shape of the keycaps for customer-specific input systems, so that you receive a tailor-made product for every application.

The backlighting of the key caps plays a further important role in their functionality. In order to be able to make a reliable entry even in difficult lighting conditions, the user must be able to recognize the button symbols at all times. Most classically keyboards illuminate the keys with a surrounding gleam of light. In low light conditions, this can lead to glare and difficult legibility. That is why we have developed key caps that only backlight the symbols. The keyboard therefore does not emit any light on the sides, which means that the symbols can be recognized perfectly even in complete darkness. In addition, our keyboards are equipped with different options for dimming the brightness.

Backlit stainless steel keycaps

laser cutting - back injection - built in

Labeling process

In the case of non-backlit key caps, the type of lettering is also decisive, which should still be clearly legible even after years of intensive use. In addition, the lettering is another optical component. In order to meet all of our customers' inquiries, we use different labeling technologies depending on the requirements. Printing the symbols on the top of the keycap is the easiest way to achieve multicolored results. In contrast, single-color laser graving is very popular for industrial applications because it is much more resistant to abrasion. If you want to achieve maximum durability with multi-colored key caps, you can rely on the inside coating of the caps or the lettering in the 2-component process, in which the symbol and the key cap are made of two different plastics in the injection molding process.

In summary, we offer the following methods for labeling the keycaps:

  • Outside printing (cheap process for colored symbols)
  • Inside lacquered and lasered (absolutely abrasion-resistant and backlit)
  • Laser marking (very abrasion-resistant, cheap and suitable for small quantities)
  • Laser cutting (absolutely abrasion-resistant, backlit and suitable for small quantities)
  • 2-component lettering (absolutely abrasion-resistant, multi-colored and backlit depending on the components)
  • Stainless steel 2-component backside-injection-molded (absolutely abrasion-resistant, colored or transparent and then backlit)
  • Braille characters (additional haptic orientation by raising a point on the keycap)

 

Ergonomics, longevity and legibility of the symbols are decisive quality requirements that we place on our keycaps and meet them through selected production processes. We offer the right key cap for every application.

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