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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: jonathanyu on Thu, 27 February 2014, 18:08:46

Title: Idea of dyesub keycaps
Post by: jonathanyu on Thu, 27 February 2014, 18:08:46
So everybody know that it is impossible to dye a color that is lighter than the keycaps' color on the cap.
But why not dye all the part that is not the legend part, so it could have lighter color legend?
What I am actually talking about is like this
(http://i.imgur.com/tLUm7Z0.png)

you can see the words on it pretty clearly
Title: Re: Idea of dyesub keycaps
Post by: nkzt on Thu, 27 February 2014, 22:18:52
It's my work. Microscope image:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wo98U0QryR4/UujucO6VCUI/AAAAAAAAAOY/TDBaSA6X_p8/s320/printed.JPG)

The problem is, it's hard to dye all sides. Not impossible, but costs much. I'm now seeking a good way.
Title: Re: Idea of dyesub keycaps
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Fri, 28 February 2014, 06:13:39
Yes it's possible... but the downside is the QA for that process to do all the sides seamless isn't quite there yet. It's very easy for misprint to occur. If people wouldn't mind to pay 3x or more per cap for 'perfect prints' or accept that it may not be quite right and be OK to pay full price for defect print I might be able to work something out to try some for next time. Doing some more 'experimental' kind of stuff is something I have been pressing for but there seem to not be so enthusiastic about it.
Doing only the top wouldn't be much problem though as those 'hacker' Japan keys did come out fairly well.