Author Topic: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?  (Read 2403 times)

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Offline phinix

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Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
« on: Fri, 13 October 2023, 18:01:19 »
UV printed legends on ABS caps - do those come off with time?
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Offline Findecanor

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Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 13 October 2023, 22:06:05 »
"UV printing" is pad-printing followed by a coating of clear UV-cured resin. The resin coating is supposed to make it last longer against wear than ordinary pad-printing.

So, yes, it can wear out. Just not as easily as pad-printed keys. And by then the keys are probably already shiny.

You can often spot it as a raised outline.
« Last Edit: Fri, 13 October 2023, 22:08:47 by Findecanor »

Offline phinix

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Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 14 October 2023, 08:51:05 »
"UV printing" is pad-printing followed by a coating of clear UV-cured resin. The resin coating is supposed to make it last longer against wear than ordinary pad-printing.

So, yes, it can wear out. Just not as easily as pad-printed keys. And by then the keys are probably already shiny.

You can often spot it as a raised outline.

so whole cap is coated?
that wear shouldn't happen quickly, right? like years of usage? or quickly, like after 2 years or so?
9100 | 3070 | 8TB SSD + 2x 1TB SSD | Z390 Aorus Pro ITX | 16GB RAM | SFX 600W | Sentry 2.0 | Ruark Audio MR1 Mark II | LG OLED 48CX
Realforce 87u55 | CM QuickFire Rapid MX Blacks | NCR-80 87g Gateron Oil Kings | Logitech Pro Superlight
SA: Retro Petscii, 7bit Round6 'Symbiosis', Filco, Carbon Bone Cherry: GMK Laser, OG double shot caps, CRP APL GSA: Retro High-light HSA: Hyperfuse

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Offline Findecanor

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Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 14 October 2023, 10:36:50 »
so whole cap is coated?
No, it is usually just the legend and a small border around it. Sometimes the insides of letters are completely coated.

On a white-on-black keycap, you can often see the UV resin as a black outline around the white letter. The outline is often shinier and smoother than the keycap plastic's texture.

Offline phinix

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Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 14 October 2023, 16:00:52 »
so whole cap is coated?
No, it is usually just the legend and a small border around it. Sometimes the insides of letters are completely coated.

On a white-on-black keycap, you can often see the UV resin as a black outline around the white letter. The outline is often shinier and smoother than the keycap plastic's texture.


I wonder how long would these for example survive.


9100 | 3070 | 8TB SSD + 2x 1TB SSD | Z390 Aorus Pro ITX | 16GB RAM | SFX 600W | Sentry 2.0 | Ruark Audio MR1 Mark II | LG OLED 48CX
Realforce 87u55 | CM QuickFire Rapid MX Blacks | NCR-80 87g Gateron Oil Kings | Logitech Pro Superlight
SA: Retro Petscii, 7bit Round6 'Symbiosis', Filco, Carbon Bone Cherry: GMK Laser, OG double shot caps, CRP APL GSA: Retro High-light HSA: Hyperfuse

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