geekhack Community > Keyboard Keycaps
Custom Keycap Ideas Thread - all ideas welcome
thelaughingman:
--- Quote from: Piperaceae on Thu, 12 September 2024, 07:30:34 ---I didn't realize the 6u mold for MTNU existed - I'll definitely add that! HHKB support is something I feel is essential for 60% coverage, when the mold actually exists.
Hmm, I wonder which would be better - shrinking to 65% and lower, or expanding to 80%? It's only six more keys, and I feel like there are a lot of TKL users potentially. As much as I want to keep the cost down, expanding to cover TKL may make it more viable. On the other hand, shrinking it to 65% eliminates twice as many keys, which surely would make it cheaper?
I wonder if there's any such thing as a per-key cost with MTNU sets? There have only been a handful so far, and the pricing has been about the same in spite of vastly different base kits. Quantity seems to matter more than key count.
At any rate, here's a 40-80% kit:
Show Image
And here's the 40-65% version, swapping the F row for a few more small bars:
Show Image
--- End quote ---
on 60% vs TKL - I'd say many 60% users would be okay with TKL kit, think Alpha + mod kit from SP. But if you go 60% kit only then for sure you're losing the TKL crowd
on pricing - I don't have insight on MTNU but IIRC with CYL the biggest determinant of price per key is actually the colour. if it is 'stock' colour for GMK then it will be cheap. if it is custom colours that requires a lot more additional working (mixing, matching) then it will be more expensive. can refer what is 'stock' for MTNU GMK Stock Color kit with PBT MTNU keycaps
Piperaceae:
The more I think about it, the more I want to prioritize smaller boards with this set, by including 40's and minibars in the base. I think having TKL in there too might make it too big and expensive. But yeah, I imagine TKL users are a large group, and excluding them altogether cuts into potential sales.
As averse as I am to having a bunch of child kits, I wonder if just one TKL add-on kit would be feasible, including the missing keys to cover 75% and TKL, and also the "normal" versions of the keys that have weird typewriter legends in the base.
Something like this:
It's just the reverse of the typical 40's and bars sold separately, with the TKL keys sold separately instead.
I've looked at the stock GMK PBT colors before, and the light blue is close to what I want, though a little greenish. My ideal color is matched to SP's BGW blue. I really wish there was a PBT equivalent to GMK's N5 ABS blue; that would be pretty darn close.
Quantity seems to matter a lot in terms of pricing, too. MTNU Susu's numpadless base sold for $125. Dolch is going for $135 for a much larger set, while the "limited stock" R&D '73 is a whopping $180-189 depending on whether you go through Novelkeys or Norbauer. I don't know if Dolch is using stock colors (I don't think Susu or R&D do), but I imagine they made a lot more Dolch than they did the other sets.
thelaughingman:
--- Quote from: Piperaceae on Fri, 13 September 2024, 07:41:34 ---Quantity seems to matter a lot in terms of pricing, too. MTNU Susu's numpadless base sold for $125. Dolch is going for $135 for a much larger set, while the "limited stock" R&D '73 is a whopping $180-189 depending on whether you go through Novelkeys or Norbauer. I don't know if Dolch is using stock colors (I don't think Susu or R&D do), but I imagine they made a lot more Dolch than they did the other sets.
--- End quote ---
some context on these sets:
- Susu uses custom colours, but is part of the '1st runs trio' so it got discounted, i.e. it should have been more than 125usd despite being smaller kitting
- Dolch is definitely stock colour, and not part of the initial run discount so you should consider its pricing 135usd as the baseline
- R&D is, yes, limited in a sense and it's definitely uses custom colours thus the higher pricing. but the bigger contributor of that high price is what the Topre-community calls Norbauer-tax, wherein the designer, Norbauer focuses on expensive / premium offerings. So you should factor that in as well
Piperaceae:
Yeah, I figured the Norbauer brand adds something to the cost. I wasn't sure if fewer Susu sets were made for some reason like GMK hedging their bets with the launch sets, versus manufacturing more for sure-fire hit colorways like Dolch. $135 feels like a good sweet spot to aim at for a base kit.
I posted the IC this afternoon, after being up all night flip-flopping on kitting. I must have gone through ten variations between my last post and finally deciding to put TKL in the base after all at the last minute. I really wanted to prioritize small boards for once, but it also seemed like I'd be shooting myself in the foot by excluding so many people.
madmax13:
Here is a Film noir-themed Keycap set I've been working on, which I have taken to calling SA Welles. I have been fighting with the mod legends, between doing them beige or keeping the bright red.
Here's the two most recent renders, and looking forward to everyone's feedback.
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