Kurplop,
The only way to get a glossy finish on anodizing is to polish the hell out of it. Since anodizing is basically just dying the surface (or in the case of clear anodizing they use no dye) so when anodizing whatever is on the part before it gets anodized will be there afterwards. Nothing gets hidden. Lighter colors make blemishes more prevalent and darker colors "hide" them better. Don't worry too much about compounds (contact whoever you are going to use for anodizing though). The first step with anodizing is to give it an acid bath, then they dip it in distilled water to rinse off the acid, then they put it in a tank where they leave it in the tank of dye (or un-dyed) water for x minutes at x temperature with x volts. One thing to keep in mind with anodizing is that once you have done it, there is no going back. You can have it stripped, but the surface will be ruined and you will have to refinish it all over in order to get the color changed. You can also work with the anodizing shop you use as they will have seen hundreds of thousands of parts from sand blasted to super polished. Most places are pretty easy to work with. Also you may want to ask them if they have parts going in that are the same color if you can piggy back off that order (if there is room) to reduce your lot charge.
side note: you can do home anodizing, they sell kits if you want, google aluminum anodizing kits, tutorials, etc. Lots of info online about the subject
Thanks for the input. I have done my own home anodizing on my last project, the Alumaplop, and it turned out very well. When I was experimenting with the type of surface texture and dye color, I tried 3 different textures and ended up with the sandblasted finish.
1. I really liked the fine brushed look, it showed the beauty and shine of the aluminum at its best. The problem was that was, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't get the uniformity of depth and direction I wanted. What would be simple on a flat surface became quite a challenge with all the contours and plane breaks.
2. Then I tried to get a mirror finish and once again I had issues. As I worked my way up through the grits up to 12,000, the surface actually turned a dull whitish color. The only way I could get a mirror polish was using oil/wax based compounds with a buffing wheel. The best I could was still inconsistent. Overall it did have a nice shine but some places appeared a bit cloudy. I was also concerned about whether I'd be able to remove the contaminants fully before anodizing. Also, the very process of anodizing creates a slightly dull finish by growing a thin semi-transparent oxide into the surface. The surface remains smooth but where the anodize meets the virgin aluminum isn't. This is what causes the irregular refraction.
3. I guess I put a premium on the consistency of the finish and I found it by sandblasting. Not as striking as a mirror finish, not as dazzling as the fine brush, but lovely in its own subdued way. The matte black finish has performed well. Not a visible scratch on it. and it doesn't show smudges. As a bonus it also matches the finish on my ThinkPad. One other thing about this finish; because I am occasionally out in public with it, I didn't want the finish to scream, "Look at me". Afterall, I'm a show off but I don't want people to know it.
Now back to the present. While my tastes don't lean towards unicorns, bubblegum, artisans, or backlighting, since this will be exclusively a home office keyboard, I don't mind trying something a bit bolder than my last finish. That's why I asked for opinions. I still like the clear finish as an option but am not quite sure how to achieve the effect I'm looking for.
Thanks again for everybody who have offered ideas. Even if I don't use some of them, they are making me aware of more options and processes which is quite helpful.