[GB] After-school 1992: a retro 90s DSS keycap set

[norbauer]

Now through December 20 January 10, I’m happy to be able to offer a group buy for the After-school 1992 retro-inspired (vaporwave, memphis, etc.) 90s keyset in the new-old DSS profile from Signature Plastics.











(these are photos, not renders)

I  also offered a special finish called VHS on the Norbaforce Mark II, which I think makes an especially great pairing with this set. I will likely offer the same finish again on future products as well.

This set is shipping with my new special gift box packaging rather than the normal jumbled bags used on my SP group buys. They’re made here in California and not inexpensive to manufacture, but I feel that they really improve the keycap buying experience. I’m also working on a set of fun little 90s-themed surprises to include in the gift box.

Apologies that pricing is high, incidentally, but it turns out that, due to the way SP loads their mold shots, four-color sets of this type and quite costly to produce. But there was no other way to evoke the aesthetic I wanted, so I think it was worth the trade off. I've tried to make a balance between compatibility and cost, in light of this, with the layout support in the extended set. But, of course (and alas), it is in the nature of designing keysets that one will always disappoint some folks; my sincerest regrets if you are among them in this case.

Cost on the base TKL set is $135 (with add-ons available for Numpad and alternate layouts). Lead times are always a bit vague with SP, but I'm (pessimistically) anticipating that these will ship 3-4 months after GB close.

[norbauer]

BTW, I'm working on packaging for this set similar to what we did with Galaxy Class.





But of course in my own packaging design rather than the black Roddenberry boxes.

[norbauer]

bumping the thread since it took the mods a few days to approve.

[Rayndalf]

Neat. DSS has a lot of promise, but everyone is on the GMK train these days. Any chance for a blank ergo/boardwalk kit?

[norbauer]

Neat. DSS has a lot of promise, but everyone is on the GMK train these days. Any chance for a blank ergo/boardwalk kit?

Heh. Well, I'm always happy to be zipping along on water skis in the opposite direction of whatever train everyone else is on.

I don't think a blank set would necessarily make a lot of sense for a set like this, which is all about the color combinations with the legends, but these are all stock SP colors, so you might be able just to get caps in these colors from directly from PMK, especially after they've run this set.

[Rayndalf]

Neat. DSS has a lot of promise, but everyone is on the GMK train these days. Any chance for a blank ergo/boardwalk kit?

Heh. Well, I'm always happy to be zipping along on water skis in the opposite direction of whatever train everyone else is on.

I don't think a blank set would necessarily make a lot of sense for a set like this, which is all about the color combinations with the legends, but these are all stock SP colors, so you might be able just to get caps in these colors from directly from PMK, especially after they've run this set.

I just meant the ergo modifiers could be blank and used with the base kit alphas. It isn't perfect, but SP MOQ makes blanks reasonably possible (they have the molds for legends too, but no one can agree what key does what so the kit is massive).

It probably isn't the direction you were taking the set, but as far as ergo support goes, pastel purple would look better than most.

Edit: finally put two and two together, I'd love to see ortho or ergo support, but this is a [GB] and not an [IC] so those are probably (final) production photos. Hopefully we start seeing more DSS sets in general, from grabbag stuff I know there was a non GH (Chinese perhaps?) groupbuy and of course SP's own Dolch and that other in stock kit, but I'm surprised there are so few and happy to see another.

[svenge]

My GF fell in love with this set the moment she saw it.  When I saw it was SP, I went in for a full ANSI.  I am a late-80's kid so this definitely hits the nostalgia button nicely for me.

Can anyone describe the DSS profile a little bit?  Pros and cons / feel vs SA/DSA/OEM?  (I've never tried Cherry)


This definitely counts toward her Christmas gifts right?

[norbauer]

My GF fell in love with this set the moment she saw it.  When I saw it was SP, I went in for a full ANSI.  I am a late-80's kid so this definitely hits the nostalgia button nicely for me.

Can anyone describe the DSS profile a little bit?  Pros and cons / feel vs SA/DSA/OEM?  (I've never tried Cherry)

This definitely counts toward her Christmas gifts right?

DSS is basically DSA with a sculptured profile. That is: if you look at the set from above, it looks like DSA but from the side each row has an angle, including a slight negative slope on the bottom three rows. The following image gives a good sense:


As far as I know, this is the first community GB for a DSS profile set, so there isn't a ton of community feedback and response to it. I mostly just think it looks cool, but without the flatness of DSA that a lot of folks don't like.

Bonus pic that I shot the other day:

[mgsickler]

My GF fell in love with this set the moment she saw it.  When I saw it was SP, I went in for a full ANSI.  I am a late-80's kid so this definitely hits the nostalgia button nicely for me.

Can anyone describe the DSS profile a little bit?  Pros and cons / feel vs SA/DSA/OEM?  (I've never tried Cherry)

This definitely counts toward her Christmas gifts right?

DSS is basically DSA with a sculptured profile. That is: if you look at the set from above, it looks like DSA but from the side each row has an angle, including a slight negative slope on the bottom three rows. The following image gives a good sense:

Show Image

As far as I know, this is the first community GB for a DSS profile set, so there isn't a ton of community feedback and response to it. I mostly just think it looks cool, but without the flatness of DSA that a lot of folks don't like. :)

Bonus pic that I shot the other day:

Show Image

I want that monitor. That is an awesome prop you made.

[norbauer]

My GF fell in love with this set the moment she saw it.  When I saw it was SP, I went in for a full ANSI.  I am a late-80's kid so this definitely hits the nostalgia button nicely for me.

Can anyone describe the DSS profile a little bit?  Pros and cons / feel vs SA/DSA/OEM?  (I've never tried Cherry)

This definitely counts toward her Christmas gifts right?

DSS is basically DSA with a sculptured profile. That is: if you look at the set from above, it looks like DSA but from the side each row has an angle, including a slight negative slope on the bottom three rows. The following image gives a good sense:

Show Image

As far as I know, this is the first community GB for a DSS profile set, so there isn't a ton of community feedback and response to it. I mostly just think it looks cool, but without the flatness of DSA that a lot of folks don't like. :)

Bonus pic that I shot the other day:

Show Image

I want that monitor. That is an awesome prop you made.

Thanks, Mike! I wanted to have some retro-futurist "fantasy computers" for stuff like this so I don't have to show actual contemporary electronics, which tend not to be super visually inspired. :) I'm working on a whole series of them.

[dvorcol]

My GF fell in love with this set the moment she saw it.  When I saw it was SP, I went in for a full ANSI.  I am a late-80's kid so this definitely hits the nostalgia button nicely for me.

Can anyone describe the DSS profile a little bit?  Pros and cons / feel vs SA/DSA/OEM?  (I've never tried Cherry)

This definitely counts toward her Christmas gifts right?

DSS is basically DSA with a sculptured profile. That is: if you look at the set from above, it looks like DSA but from the side each row has an angle, including a slight negative slope on the bottom three rows. The following image gives a good sense:

Show Image

As far as I know, this is the first community GB for a DSS profile set, so there isn't a ton of community feedback and response to it. I mostly just think it looks cool, but without the flatness of DSA that a lot of folks don't like. :)

Bonus pic that I shot the other day:

Show Image

I'd say DSS is a spherical version of Cherry (Cherry being cylindrical).  I posted a visual comparison in another thread a while back.  And right above my post there is a picture comparing Signature Plastics' various profiles, including DSS and DSA. 

[Little4Real]

This is giving me "Saved by the Bell" Vibes

[norbauer]

This is giving me "Saved by the Bell" Vibes

Hardcore.

For a full list of aesthetic inspirations, you can check out the IC thread.

[norbauer]

I have decided to leave the GB open until 10 January. I got a lot of messages from folks saying that they wanted to join but needed to wait until a post-holiday paycheck or for a new month to start and reset their keyboard budget without so many other concurrent GBs, and I'm happy to oblige.  In the meantime, I'm working on getting production started so this extension shouldn't hold things up much.

[SerialHobbyist]

I'm glad this will be open till January 10. I'm in the same financial boat. Guaranteed by Jan 9, I will join. Has anyone made Jazz Stripes a design?

[norbauer]

I'm glad this will be open till January 10. I'm in the same financial boat. Guaranteed by Jan 9, I will join. Has anyone made Jazz Stripes a design? (Attachment Link)

I'm pretty sure I've seen a single keycap somewhere on Instagram with this motif on it.

Speaking of 90s nostalgia, I love your avatar. I've been watching Millennium all week, as it happens. That show really transports me back.