Unsure if this should be in the "Projects" subforum, mods feel free to move. I've had great luck dying various plastics in the past (discs, paintball gun bolts, R/C car parts) so I've been reading up on dying PBT keycaps. If all goes according to plan I'd like to create a guide, perhaps even a video.
Two questions:
1. Geekkeys top printed PBT keycaps are a few dollars cheaper than their blank PBT keycaps.
What will happen to the legends when they are dyed? I'm not familiar enough with laser-etched-printing. I think a cool effect could be created if the black legends remain while using black/gray dye (
similar to the dark gray HHKB). If the legends disappear, then I still saved a few dollars by purchasing the printed PBT keyset.
2. Will dye penetrate the plastic of the keycap when heat is applied? I had a (crazy?) idea to attempt to find some heat resistant tape, cut it into a thin strip and wrap it around the keycap to create some sort of design. If the dye will only stick if it contacts the surface of the keycap, there might be some opportunity to get creative.
I appreciate the help!