how would folks feel about Futura dye-subs?

[jacobolus]

Rough mockup:


Edit: sometime later became a real physical thing:

[CPTBadAss]

I like that font but please, no more monochromatic colors. I don't know if I can handle another bit based around gray/black/white.

[jacobolus]

that's blue, buddy! (but I’m not really too attached to the color scheme)

[jdcarpe]

Red/Blue/Green on Cream Cheese dyesub on DCS would be cool. Maybe an option for blank mods in the legend color. Would look best with small legends, though, like on Filco caps.

[CPTBadAss]

The alphas in that picture look pretty gray to me...I'm no expert on colors or anything though.

[terrpn]

Red/Blue/Green on Cream Cheese dyesub on DCS would be cool. Maybe an option for blank mods in the legend color. Would look best with small legends, though, like on Filco caps.

now that would be nice............

[jacobolus]

The alphas in that picture look pretty gray to me...I'm no expert on colors or anything though.

Happy?


(Though I think this changes the aesthetic from gleaming to Soviet.)

[terrpn]

here we gooooooo

blue does look better

so the red, green could be an option for mods, etc?

[HPE1000]

Saw title, thought it said futurama, got excited 

[jacobolus]

Saw title, thought it said futurama, got excited 

Don’t worry, Paul Renner is way cooler than any cartoon.

[nubbinator]

Can we get a Wes Anderson cap with it?

[rowdy]

I like the "FUN" key - more keyboards should have one

[ahshwebah]

Saw title, thought it said futurama, got excited 

i thought the same thing. 

[SpAmRaY]

Saw title, thought it said futurama, got excited 

i thought the same thing. 

me to :facepalm:

and is this an interest check? there's a subforum for that 

[jacobolus]

Not really an interest check (since I don’t plan on offering full keycap sets per se), but more of a call for feedback.

The goal is to make some keycaps for one of Massdrop’s upcoming keyboards that’s new/fun, as an alternative to blanks.

[ahshwebah]

i like the set from the original post. looks good to me.

[CPTBadAss]

The alphas in that picture look pretty gray to me...I'm no expert on colors or anything though.

Happy?

Show Image

(Though I think this changes the aesthetic from gleaming to Soviet.)

Alphas are still beige/gray. Like I said, I'd really like to see a departure from the beige/monochrome colorways.

[clacktalk]

i love monochromatic things. +1 to the OG vision. I don't even want to imagine any more color to the original. I had to work so hard to erase the blue mod updated picture from my memories.

[RED-404]

I'm starting to think Geekhack needs to have a group buy for some display calibrators...

Note: Needs to support multiple monitors.

[rowdy]

I'm starting to think Geekhack needs to have a group buy for some display calibrators...

Note: Needs to support multiple monitors.

Maybe ColorHug might be a good and hopefully inexpensive place to start, if this is to become a reality.

[jacobolus]

Alphas are still beige/gray. Like I said, I'd really like to see a departure from the beige/monochrome colorways.

Okay. Well I’m going to give up on pleasing you on this particular project (unless you want to suggest some specifics, ideally with pictures).

[jacobolus]

i love monochromatic things. +1 to the OG vision. I don't even want to imagine any more color to the original. I had to work so hard to erase the blue mod updated picture from my memories.

Okay. How about this? (I’m trying to match SP’s PBT colors WFJ and BFE)

Or is that still too blue? (What color would you prefer for the mods, clacktalk?)

(Note to everyone: this is misleading if you have a light background on your geekhack theme; the light color here will look closer to white in person.)

[CPTBadAss]

Alphas are still beige/gray. Like I said, I'd really like to see a departure from the beige/monochrome colorways.

Okay. Well I’m going to give up on pleasing you on this particular project (unless you want to suggest some specifics, ideally with pictures).

I'm starting to think Geekhack needs to have a group buy for some display calibrators...

Note: Needs to support multiple monitors.

Lmao. You guys just aren't grasping what I'm trying to say. Isn't anyone else tired of having boring colors?? White on something. Monochrome. Grey Grey Grey. If we get a new font, why not shake it all up and get some new colors in here.

I'll suggest this like I do in every IC for keycap colors:



Pink on Purple.

[jacobolus]

Lmao. You guys just aren't grasping what I'm trying to say. Isn't anyone else tired of having boring colors?? White on something. Monochrome. Grey Grey Grey. If we get a new font, why not shake it all up and get some new colors in here.

If the goal here was only to make some fun keycaps that people might buy separately because they like the color scheme and want to put it on some existing keyboard, I’d be right there with you.

For this project in particular, pink and purple have the problem that they don’t really fit in on lots of people’s desks.

[clacktalk]

Okay. How about this? (I’m trying to match SP’s PBT colors WFJ and BFE)

Show Image

Or is that still too blue? (What color would you prefer for the mods, clacktalk?)

(Note to everyone: this is misleading if you have a light background on your geekhack theme; the light color here will look closer to white in person.)

I can definitely stand behind this. Maybe more than the first proposed. The legends as well as the colors feel so clean/crisp, just a bit like a pristine scifi future filled with chrome hahaha. Am I reaching with that imagery?

I can see where CPTBadAss is coming from, but my personal preference wants nothing to do with vibrant colors. Maybe one day.

[noisyturtle]

I keep misreading the title and expecting to find busty women with large penises in this thread.

[jacobolus]

I can definitely stand behind this. Maybe more than the first proposed. The legends as well as the colors feel so clean/crisp, just a bit like a pristine scifi future filled with chrome hahaha. Am I reaching with that imagery?

Yup, that’s the idea: chrome and robots and flying cars.

Little globe symbols are from:

[clacktalk]

I've never felt as close to a keyset as I have with this potential one. How do you want me to support your endeavor?

[nubbinator]

I still think we need some Wes Andersen inspired mods if you do a Futura font.

[jacobolus]

Maybe it could ship with 2 blank 1.5x1 keys, 2 globe 1.5x1 keys, and 2 wes anderson themed 1.5x1 keys, and then people could pick which to use.

What would Wes Anderson themed keycaps have on them? A steve zissou beanie and glock? Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray’s faces?

Are you willing to design some WA caps for us?

[nubbinator]

There are so many awesome things that it could be.  You could do binoculars and compass (Moonrise Kingdom), a beanie and beard or submarine (Life Aquatic), Glock and bottle rocket (Bottle Rocket, of course), beret/glasses/go kart/epee/swiss army knife/etc (Rushmore), cigarette and tennis racquet (Royal Tenenbaums), luggage and train car (The Darjeeling Limited), and so on.

Or, just to be Wes Anderson style hipster, a pack of cigarettes and typewriter would probably do it.

[jacobolus]

I've never felt as close to a keyset as I have with this potential one. How do you want me to support your endeavor?

Wow. Well, Massdrop, as you may know (there was a brief talk about this at KeyCon), is trying to build a bunch of new keyboards, to see if we (we = a handful of us who don’t work for MD but are helping them on design) can iterate quickly and try new and interesting things.

Anyway, the plan is to start with a 60% keyboard, and so they put up a poll about possible 60% keyboard layouts (https://www.massdrop.com/vote/60-keyboard-layouts) which was dramatically won by the hypothetical “HHKB 3” layout (which doesn’t currently exist in any keyboard). Since part of the point is to prove that it’s possible to make any layout that the community wants to see made, the first keyboard will probably be that layout.

No keycap sets currently target an MX or Matias switch keyboard with a layout like that, so the easy obvious thing is to just sell these keyboards with blank keycaps. But as a more exciting alternative, we wanted to make some nice looking legends. Since there’s just a single design (or blanks), take it or leave it, it should hopefully be possible to print enough of these to hit some reasonable scale to keep per-unit price down. Easy option would be to just do lasered caps, but depending on the price I think dye-subs should also be in the realm of possibility.

No promises yet, since the precise manufacturing costs have to be figured out, and there are some other parts of the keyboard design to finish still (luckily for me that’s someone else’s responsibility). But I’m hoping that dye-sub caps with this design (or something equally cool; still open to suggestions) will be available for a small 60%-ish keyboard with either MX or Matias switches, and fully programmable firmware. Fingers crossed.

[clacktalk]

I'll keep all my fingers crossed haha

[Ceedog]

Badass. I'd definitely buy it in a darker color.

[ideus]

What are those keyboards you were talking about?

And, BTW, I liked the original design.

[Oobly]

I noticed this IC: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=61661.0

Perhaps a collaboration is in order?

[jacobolus]

Well, they have a fairly different purpose, so I don’t really think there’s too much overlap (again, the plan with these keycaps isn’t to be useful for any generic keyboard, but only to fill in one particular board). I’d be happy to spend a few minutes helping them with the vectors for futura legends though.

[pasph]

Really beautiful

[Oobly]

Your last mockup is really nice, jacobulus. Brings to mind Bioshock and Metropolis. I'd love to have a set of caps like that on my 60%. Would you consider starting a GB later for these in "normal" layouts? Perhaps a little while after the main project? Very interested in the "HHKB3" layout board project, too, though. Would be awesome to have a programmable MX board with that layout and these caps!

I think IMSTO can do dyesubs on sets for a "reasonable" price. IvanIvanovich is getting him to do the dyesub on the Round 3 black on black sets.

[Karura]

Jacobolus, if you can make it work great with the Smallfry 40, or have an option to have enough blanks/small modifiers to use with it, I would be totally down

Mock 40% keyboard Layout:
http://i.imgur.com/co6mcFN.jpg

[jacobolus]

Your last mockup is really nice, jacobulus. [sic]

Thanks!

I'd love to have a set of caps like that on my 60%. Would you consider starting a GB later for these in "normal" layouts? Perhaps a little while after the main project?

I don’t want to organize it, but I’d be happy to put a tiny bit of design work in, and share what I've done so far with anyone who wanted to pick up the ball.

Very interested in the "HHKB3" layout board project, too, though. Would be awesome to have a programmable MX board with that layout and these caps!

It should hopefully be happening soon, but no promises. Also Alps, hopefully. (I think SP needs a couple months still before they’re ready to do dye-sub Alps sets though.)

Jacobolus, if you can make it work great with the Smallfry 40, or have an option to have enough blanks/small modifiers to use with it, I would be totally down

Once again, I don’t want to organize it, but I’m happy to help a bit with design. :-)

[jacobolus]

Minor alignment tweaks:

[jacobolus]

More slight tweaks:

[Puddsy]

might wanna move this thread to interest check forum maybe

[jacobolus]

It’s not an interest check really. Which I explained above.

[SirPony]

feels like the white hhkb keyset

[jacobolus]

Okay, these are now up:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-dye-sublimated-keycap-set?mode=guest_open

Unfortunately, DSA not DCS, and MX only, no Alps.

In general designed to go with the Infinity keyboard:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=64198
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-keyboard-kit?mode=guest_open

But there’s a compatibility set to work with standard 60% ANSI boards.




Above, “hacker” and “standard” layouts; top 4 rows are the same for each.

Below, on the left, bottom row and compatibility kits. On the right, a couple of the layouts supported with the compatibility kit.

[renne]

Okay, these are now up:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-dye-sublimated-keycap-set?mode=guest_open

Unfortunately, DSA not DCS, and MX only, no Alps.

In general designed to go with the Infinity keyboard:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=64198
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-keyboard-kit?mode=guest_open

But there’s a compatibility set to work with standard 60% ANSI boards.

Show Image

Show Image

Show Image

Above, “hacker” and “standard” layouts; top 4 rows are the same for each.

Below, on the left, bottom row and compatibility kits. On the right, a couple of the layouts supported with the compatibility kit.

Show Image

Show Image

No 7x space bar for wkl users?

[jackalope]

Saw title, thought it said futurama, got excited 

Did the same thing.

[JackMills]

One question, is there any homing on the F and J? Because this was designed with the Infinity in mind and I was thinking of totally goofing around with the layouts on that, so homing would not be necessary for me.