[IC] DCS Delftware - GB 1-30 April 2021 - 29/03 update: Pricing + RAMA

[Zephyraeon]

DCS Delftware
Based on porcelain art

We're in GB now click here to go to the GB post

Delftware is a set based on old porcelain artwork, painted by hand, the font and sublegends have all been chosen in order to make a set that looks refined but a little bit imperfect. I picked the theme a) because porcelain stuff is really cool if you think about the effort that goes into making it, and b) because blue and white are super awesome colours which look great together (see every other blue and white keycap set ever made). The sublegends and novelties were all designed being heavily based on actual porcelain artwork, in order to fit the theme better.

This set will run in dye-sublimated PBT in DCS profile by Signature Plastics (SP) to allow for many unique sublegends without increased tooling cost. As the set will be run by SP the typeface has been updated from what was proposed in the previous renders to Gorton - see images of the samples below. All renders will have been updated with a similar (but not identical) font to reflect this.

Dedicated discord channels to discuss the set here, courtesy of NZ streamer Epsilon Keyboards.

Keycap samples and colours

More

The base kit and dye-sub PBT are using SP's default PBT colour WAN. The dye-sub legends in the sample above closely match Pantone 2726C. Based on responses from the IC form this will be the final blue.

Kits:
Disclaimer: Renders + fonts used are a representation of the final product but are not 100% accurate due to limitations. Renders are done with Cherry profile caps, with a similar but not identical font. Font during production will be Gorton as used for DCS Red Alert and DCS Yuri.

Base kit | $140USD | 250 MOQ

Some slight adjustments to this kit were made but it should still support almost all TKL, 75%, 65%, 60% and alice boards, with some 40% and ortho boards. UK-ISO was added. 2-Mar unpdate: Minivan support was added, some ortho keys removed to allow for this. Split spacebars are not convex.

Numpad kit | $34USD | 100 MOQ

Removed the accent coloured modifiers with only accent Return key kept.

Novelties kit | $39USD | 100 MOQ


Deskmats - $17USD each
We have three deskmat designs for Delftware:

Pattern


Inverse Pattern


Place Setting


RAMA cap | $56USD | 100 MOQ
PVD Brass keycap in DCS R1 profile





Regional proxies:

• NA - Project Keyboard
• EU - mykeyboard.eu
• Asia - ILUMKB
• AU - Daily Clack
• Canada - AlphaKeys.ca
• UK - ProtoTypist

Board renders:

More

Bean - Kingk22




Silver En Dash - Finderworks




PC Tengu - Finderworks




Navy Constellation - AEboards

What's left to do?

• Start the GB!

Big thank you to all that have helped,  Kingk22 (again) for renders and emotional support, Agilr for feedback on the design and colour matching, Would for advice on typography and fonts, Gok for advice on designing a dyesub keycap set and general design tips, Epsilon for general support and letting me piggyback off your discord channel, Peaches for emotional support, and the Finder Works and NZ discord groups and IC form fillers for general feedback. Couldn't have done it without you guys <3

Discord here

[would?]

Nice one Zeph, big fan of this kit breakdown. Really like the little detail sublegends too!

[002 DC]

A E S T H E T I C

[Abec13]

FORTIES. IN. BASE. LEEEGOOO

Talk it up with Infinikey.
 Recent got my 40s in from there and it's lookin' good.

[IOVERCALLHISTIOCYTES]

My late mother loved colors relative to her interior decorating and would have adored custom keysets and boards. Hard to say what would've been endgame for her, but this mightve been it.

[ab042896]

Sub legends would be amazing, def interested

[Agilr]

This is it.

Was a pleasure working with you, and to see what it has become with the unique subs really defines the set for me and makes it something I have to get.

[Quinella]

Absolutely gorgeous

[Zeelobby]

Looks great. Kind of a big fan of functional sublegends though. Will have to see more renders.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[belgium_waffles]

very naise

[tunadesu]

Nice inspiration. I'm a fan of black wedgewood jasperware. 

[scoopbb]

stop using discordcdn images please for the love of everything sacred

[ironchefmichi]

i like this. could be nice if there's another lighter blue accent color to show the nuances in the blues. i like the idea of icon sublegends

[niakulah]

Definitely interested

[Tyson]

Show Image

stop using discordcdn images please for the love of everything sacred

You taught me to always move my pics to a imgur album!  hahaha

[scoopbb]

Show Image

stop using discordcdn images please for the love of everything sacred

You taught me to always move my pics to a imgur album!  hahaha

and i appreciates you for it.

[1391401]

I'm 100% in for at least two sets.  I was contemplating learning about GBs this year and trying to run "gmk blue danube" because it's my mom's favorite china.  This removes any amount of effort I have to invest

My only thoughts are the blue looks wrong.  I'm using a pixelbook chromebook so maybe the color reproduction of the screen is poor.

[pixelpusher]

How is this different from Classic Blue?  Ever so slightly brighter shade of blue and white mods? 

[Ahngel]

How is this different from Classic Blue?  Ever so slightly brighter shade of blue and white mods?

yes

[Quinella]

How is this different from Classic Blue?  Ever so slightly brighter shade of blue and white mods?

looks closer to gmk rudy to me

[Ahngel]

How is this different from Classic Blue?  Ever so slightly brighter shade of blue and white mods?

looks closer to gmk rudy to me

really? i see more demon sword

[eskimojo]

How is this different from Classic Blue?  Ever so slightly brighter shade of blue and white mods?

looks closer to gmk rudy to me

really? i see more demon sword

let's be real, it's just a blue olivia clone

[eskimojo]

Compatibility is hard to assess without knowing which PBT manufacturer you're going for (EPBT, Infinikey?), but I like where you're going with this.

If you're going for EPBT then personally I'd ask for an international kit so I could have proper UK legends - child kits essentially have a MOQ of 1 for EPBT (base has MOQ of 200).

If you're going for Infinikey then TKC already has kits in place that designers have to use (though they can add others, as long as it's something TKC is willing to buy out - child kits have a MOQ of 300 for Infinikey, making them basically impossible without help).

The colourway here is really nice, and as a die-hard PBT fan, I'd be interested in picking this up.

[MeloDet]

I feel like this may benefit from sublegends or something similar, as a way of adding more blue to the set without overpowering. Maybe dutch sublegends if that's a thing.

[Zephyraeon]

Show Image

stop using discordcdn images please for the love of everything sacred

The existing renders are a bit old and need some tweaks, I'll make sure to move everything to imgur when I get new renders. Thanks for pointing this out.

I feel like this may benefit from sublegends or something similar, as a way of adding more blue to the set without overpowering. Maybe dutch sublegends if that's a thing.

The idea of the set was to design unique sublegends for every key, the first render was an example of the first three sublegends I designed. I've got another ~40 unique sublegends that I'm in the process of creating. I'm going to get new renders done with unique sublegends on all alphas, and with limited sublegends (like with CRP tulip for example) based on feedback from the IC.

I'm 100% in for at least two sets.  I was contemplating learning about GBs this year and trying to run "gmk blue danube" because it's my mom's favorite china.  This removes any amount of effort I have to invest :)

My only thoughts are the blue looks wrong.  I'm using a pixelbook chromebook so maybe the color reproduction of the screen is poor.

These colours are not final. I was originally looking to design a GMK set based on Mercy from Overwatch but then Classic Blue was announced and I decided to find new inspiration. I've already looked at a RAL colour deck and couldn't find a blue I was happy with, so I've ordered a pantone colour deck and will find some new colour options for the refreshed renders. The white will be different too - these renders have WS1 white but PBT white is closer in colour to WS2.

If you're going for EPBT then personally I'd ask for an international kit so I could have proper UK legends - child kits essentially have a MOQ of 1 for EPBT (base has MOQ of 200).

If you're going for Infinikey then TKC already has kits in place that designers have to use (though they can add others, as long as it's something TKC is willing to buy out - child kits have a MOQ of 300 for Infinikey, making them basically impossible without help).

Wasn't aware of the different MOQ for each - thanks for the info. If I go with ePBT an international kit would be on the cards. Maybe I could also add a colevrak+ kit :)

Also as another note, Agilr pointed out my 40s compatibility was lacking so I'll be adding the following keys to the base kit (to be reflected in new renders):

• R2 1u Tab
• R3 1u Esc
• R2 1u Enter

This is making the base kit fairly bloated - if the pricing for base turns out being too high, I'll create a 40s kit instead of having it in base.

Novelties kit also incoming. Stay tuned! And thank you to everyone that's filled out the IC form, your suggestions have been very helpful :)

[niakulah]

How is this different from Classic Blue?  Ever so slightly brighter shade of blue and white mods?

Yes, plus PBT.

[katasup]

Just registered to say it's beautiful one. I love that Russian style https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gzhel, so hope to see something similar.
Looking forward to see final renders.

[tex_live_utility]

I'd buy just those QWE accent keys in GMK, in the same colors as the Classic Blue set that will run soon.

[Momo.Kafka]

Yes, b1g fan of your work !

+1 for PBT set

Keeen

[Sshimosawa]

Love this.

[Zephyraeon]

Small update - will have updated kit renders in the next week or two. I'm waiting on my pantone deck (ETA 24 Feb) to arrive to settle on a final blue. Pantone 293C has been used for the renders so far, will see how it looks in person and try a few colours. I've also updated the images in the first post to use imgur instead of copying the link straight from Discord.

I've finished designing 27 unique sublegends. In order to fill all 47 alpha keys I'll be reusing/flipping/rotating some of these. Here's a little spoiler of what's to come:



Novelties kit is coming! Thanks everyone for your novelty ideas. Based on the suggestions I've received and some research, I have a kit planned which will be added to the main post when the rest of the renders are refreshed.

I'll also be adding an alphas kit where only some keys have sublegends to give everyone a choice of how busy they want their keycaps to look.

[zekth]

Isn't R3 pipe missing on the ISO base kit for full ISO support?

[eskimojo]

Isn't R3 pipe missing on the ISO base kit for full ISO support?

The kit currently uses partial ISO UK support - having both as pipe would be an example of ISO US support (the r4 key can also be <>).

The partial ISO UK support, while not an official ISO standard by any means, is a very common compromise in the community.

An article covering this well was written by depletedvespene.

[ab042896]

From what it looks like, you nailed it with these sublegends, beautiful!

[Momo.Kafka]

 

Just elegant and beautiful !

So unique

[zekth]

Isn't R3 pipe missing on the ISO base kit for full ISO support?

The kit currently uses partial ISO UK support - having both as pipe would be an example of ISO US support (the r4 key can also be <>).

The partial ISO UK support, while not an official ISO standard by any means, is a very common compromise in the community.

An article covering this well was written by depletedvespene.

Kinda agree, but weird compromise to see no R3 pipe and a 1U tab in the base kit.

[eskimojo]

Isn't R3 pipe missing on the ISO base kit for full ISO support?

The kit currently uses partial ISO UK support - having both as pipe would be an example of ISO US support (the r4 key can also be <>).

The partial ISO UK support, while not an official ISO standard by any means, is a very common compromise in the community.

An article covering this well was written by depletedvespene.

Kinda agree, but weird compromise to see no R3 pipe and a 1U tab in the base kit.

Not really - if the goal is physical coverage, then the base already covers ISO. The 1u tab is for ortho coverage.

[Prelim]

I'd buy just those QWE accent keys in GMK, in the same colors as the Classic Blue set that will run soon.

this! interested if it was GMK (V4 color)

[Rob27shred]

I kinda dig this aesthetic, I remember my Nana & Great Aunt used to collect the **** out of fine China that had that white & blue look. I think it's gonna have to be a PBT set with the custom sublegends, I mean you could go ABS doubleshot, but the MOQ & pricing would probably be way through the roof. Anyways I'll be keeping an eye on this one as I need to get some more PBT sets with better coverage than the 117 key old school ePBT sets I have.

[tex_live_utility]

I'd buy just those QWE accent keys in GMK, in the same colors as the Classic Blue set that will run soon.

this! interested if it was GMK (V4 color)

Yup exactly, V4 GMK.

[Zephyraeon]

Isn't R3 pipe missing on the ISO base kit for full ISO support?

The kit currently uses partial ISO UK support - having both as pipe would be an example of ISO US support (the r4 key can also be <>).

The partial ISO UK support, while not an official ISO standard by any means, is a very common compromise in the community.

An article covering this well was written by depletedvespene.

Kinda agree, but weird compromise to see no R3 pipe and a 1U tab in the base kit.

I'm not an ISO user so I've used other light ISO compatibility kits to determine what keys to include. If you would like more ISO compat, please let me know what keys you'd like, and I'll see what I can do. Ultimately it comes down to kit pricing when I decide on a manufacturer.

I'd buy just those QWE accent keys in GMK, in the same colors as the Classic Blue set that will run soon.

this! interested if it was GMK (V4 color)

Yup exactly, V4 GMK.

It's unlikely this will be made with doubleshot ABS due to the high costs of each sublegend, and even if it was I will not be running with V4 blue. The V4 blue is nowhere near the right blue for Delftware - I'll show some colour comparisons to pantones when I do my render update. If you're looking for an all white with V4 blue set, maybe ask the Classic Blue GB runner if they will add a second mod kit.

[niakulah]

Small update - will have updated kit renders in the next week or two. I'm waiting on my pantone deck (ETA 24 Feb) to arrive to settle on a final blue. Pantone 293C has been used for the renders so far, will see how it looks in person and try a few colours. I've also updated the images in the first post to use imgur instead of copying the link straight from Discord.

I've finished designing 27 unique sublegends. In order to fill all 47 alpha keys I'll be reusing/flipping/rotating some of these. Here's a little spoiler of what's to come:

Show Image

Novelties kit is coming! Thanks everyone for your novelty ideas. Based on the suggestions I've received and some research, I have a kit planned which will be added to the main post when the rest of the renders are refreshed.

I'll also be adding an alphas kit where only some keys have sublegends to give everyone a choice of how busy they want their keycaps to look.

Since you already have 27 sublegends, I think an alphas kit or base with only the alphabets having sublegends would be nice. A more consistent look with all alphas having 2 legends and none with 3.

[konstantin]

PBT would be perfect for this in terms of cost, viability, durability, everything... — except — the smoother texture of ABS would, I think, be a better match for the theme you're going for here.

That said, PBT is still the better option.


Edit: By the way, you should move the R1 End and PgDn keys to the numpad kit, as those keys aren't useful whatsoever without a numpad (they can usually be found on 1800, CP, 96-key and similar layouts, above the numpad).

[blizzara01]

Small update - will have updated kit renders in the next week or two. I'm waiting on my pantone deck (ETA 24 Feb) to arrive to settle on a final blue. Pantone 293C has been used for the renders so far, will see how it looks in person and try a few colours. I've also updated the images in the first post to use imgur instead of copying the link straight from Discord.

I've finished designing 27 unique sublegends. In order to fill all 47 alpha keys I'll be reusing/flipping/rotating some of these. Here's a little spoiler of what's to come:

Show Image

Novelties kit is coming! Thanks everyone for your novelty ideas. Based on the suggestions I've received and some research, I have a kit planned which will be added to the main post when the rest of the renders are refreshed.

I'll also be adding an alphas kit where only some keys have sublegends to give everyone a choice of how busy they want their keycaps to look.

Just do that cool sublegends for Latin legends

[Puddsy]

this is a very creative idea and i like it a lot

[niakulah]

Any updates on this?

[Zephyraeon]

Any updates on this?

Sorry - got a bit busy IRL. I should have the updated kit renders posted this weekend, assuming all goes well. The pantone deck has arrived and I will be changing the blue - going to wait and see how the renders turn out to confirm this though. Thanks for your patience!

[niakulah]

Any updates on this?

Sorry - got a bit busy IRL. I should have the updated kit renders posted this weekend, assuming all goes well. The pantone deck has arrived and I will be changing the blue - going to wait and see how the renders turn out to confirm this though. Thanks for your patience!

Excited to see them, thanks for replying!

[Quinella]

Any updates on this?

Sorry - got a bit busy IRL. I should have the updated kit renders posted this weekend, assuming all goes well. The pantone deck has arrived and I will be changing the blue - going to wait and see how the renders turn out to confirm this though. Thanks for your patience!

You've gone above and beyond so far with the designs Zeph.

 this is such an extremely gorgeous set its so hard to not pass on it

[yhs]

Really digging it with the sub legends.

And considering my girlfriends fondness (and absurd collection of) fine china, I think she may actually not shake her head at this purchase!

[Zephyraeon]

Any updates on this?

Sorry - got a bit busy IRL. I should have the updated kit renders posted this weekend, assuming all goes well. The pantone deck has arrived and I will be changing the blue - going to wait and see how the renders turn out to confirm this though. Thanks for your patience!

Small update - I tidied up the sublegends, created the novelties but while waiting for renders I asked Gok and a couple others for feedback and as a result I’ve got a few more things to try to make this set even better. It’s going to take some time to get everything ready so give me a couple more weeks for the big update.

[wil]

forgot how good this looks. an instant purchase.

[Pluto19]

with crp r2.2 coming soon, ~assumingly~ the r2.2/r3 molds have improved and stem twist and crucifix tightness has been tighted up, it would be cool to see delfware done in CRP.

[synthtastic]

Really looking forward to updates on this set. The sublegend tease looks amazing.

[alphabirth]

This set is classy AF!  I really hope it gets off the ground!

[dibkib]

I love how unique this is

[CustomerSupport]

Sub legends would be amazing, def interested

This. Love the idea!

[niakulah]

Any updates on this?

Sorry - got a bit busy IRL. I should have the updated kit renders posted this weekend, assuming all goes well. The pantone deck has arrived and I will be changing the blue - going to wait and see how the renders turn out to confirm this though. Thanks for your patience!

Small update - I tidied up the sublegends, created the novelties but while waiting for renders I asked Gok and a couple others for feedback and as a result I’ve got a few more things to try to make this set even better. It’s going to take some time to get everything ready so give me a couple more weeks for the big update.

Sorry to be "that annoying guy", but any updates on this?

[Zephyraeon]

Any updates on this?

Sorry - got a bit busy IRL. I should have the updated kit renders posted this weekend, assuming all goes well. The pantone deck has arrived and I will be changing the blue - going to wait and see how the renders turn out to confirm this though. Thanks for your patience!

Small update - I tidied up the sublegends, created the novelties but while waiting for renders I asked Gok and a couple others for feedback and as a result I’ve got a few more things to try to make this set even better. It’s going to take some time to get everything ready so give me a couple more weeks for the big update.

Sorry to be "that annoying guy", but any updates on this?

I've got most of the design sorted but I'm stuck on the design for the modifiers which is preventing me from updating the renders/IC post. I have a new font for the alphas which would mismatch with default text legends, but icon mods are too straight/precise to fit with the theme. I'll probably design some new icon or text/icon mods but I haven't had time recently. The IC responses I've had so far also are spread fairly thinly making it hard for me to make a decision.

[CustomerSupport]

I have a new font for the alphas which would mismatch with default text legends

You're saying text mods would mis-match with the alphas?

Looking at the renders, I personally don't see an issue with icon mods from a theme perspective. IMO, custom icons (that is, icons adapted to a certain style thematic to the set) are almost always a turn-off for me.


EDIT: That said, this set (since it is icon-based to begin with) may be a great opportunity to create custom icon mods that work well. Rooting for you, OP!

[Kimmy83]

This set is perfect for my Foxlab Key65.
Hope this IC finally turn into GB.

[GaNeBaL]

I'm def in on the color and sub legends. Kitting is 10/10, would really like to see something like this come out as CRP.

[alphabirth]

Text + Icon mods would look the most consistent with the rest of the set, IMO.  Especially if there were some custom icons with them.  Especially if mods were in Dutch.   

[niakulah]

Still hoping this will go to group buy. At this point I'd even get it without any sublegends. Just love the colours and the fact it will be PBT(?).

[pants_3000]

I'd get this in an instant if there is a colemak set.

[Zephyraeon]

Still hoping this will go to group buy. At this point I'd even get it without any sublegends. Just love the colours and the fact it will be PBT(?).

I'm still pushing on with this behind the scenes! I was hoping to have my big update ready by now but university exams have delayed things a bit. The assets are almost completed, waiting on renders to finalise everything and then will update here. Things might be progressing a bit slowly but I want to make sure the set turns out as good as it can. Small heads up that the colours will change slightly to reflect the theme better, but it should still look just as good 

I'd get this in an instant if there is a colemak set.

After the next render update I'm going to update the IC form to see if there's enough interest in other kits (e.g. colemak++, international ISO, mac), so it could happen.

Text + Icon mods would look the most consistent with the rest of the set, IMO.  Especially if there were some custom icons with them.  Especially if mods were in Dutch.   

I've drafted up some text + icon mods and just waiting on renders to see how they look as part of the set. Dutch mods would be pretty awesome! I was looking at the layout of keyboards used in the Netherlands but it seemed like they use similar layout to US-ANSI so I didn't investigate further. I'll see if there's interest in something like this when I update the IC form next. Depending on the manufacturer's MOQs I might be able to split out alphas/mods so everyone has a bit more choice in what they get.

[Puddsy]

if this isn't dead DM me here on discord (Puddsy#3434) i like this set a lot and want to make it a reality

[Zephyraeon]

I've just updated the new post with updated renders, and a new IC form. Please fill the IC form out again - questions are all optional. Mainly hoping to figure out preferences for factory + interest in other kits.

[konstantin]

Love the full new set of sublegends, but I can't say I'm a fan of the new typeface used for the main legends. It looked a lot cleaner and more refined (to quote the OP) with the regular Cherry / Helvetica Rounded Bold font and icons, in my opinion. The sublegends were sufficient to give it a quirky and playful look; now it just looks weird.

[Zephyraeon]

Love the full new set of sublegends, but I can't say I'm a fan of the new typeface used for the main legends. It looked a lot cleaner and more refined (to quote the OP) with the regular Cherry / Helvetica Rounded Bold font and icons, in my opinion. The sublegends were sufficient to give it a quirky and playful look; now it just looks weird.

Thank you for the feedback, if the consensus is to move back to a more 'default' font, I can do that - let me know in the IC form (already got one response stating this).

I'd like to explain why I picked this specific font though - the sublegends I've designed have all come from examples of delftware I've searched through the internet for, and although I was using vector images to mimic these, I've tried to keep them looking a little 'off' to mimic the small deviations that come through when you're handpainting such intricate designs. In order to fit the theme I spent many hours looking through various websites, even trying my hand at designing a new font from scratch, in order to look similar to how the signatures on the bottom looked. I referred to this image constantly:


Instead of trying to go for something completely crazy, I felt using something with a handwritten style that was close to the GMK legends was the way to go, as delftware is handpainted, it felt wrong using such a consistent looking font. I understand with this hobby that consistency is usually king, but in my opinion, this set isn't about being consistent but about the beauty in something that is handmade.

TL;DR: Let me know in the IC form and I will change it back.

[IOVERCALLHISTIOCYTES]

I like it as youve got it now but I’d buy either way. Love it.

[konstantin]

Thank you for the feedback, if the consensus is to move back to a more 'default' font, I can do that - let me know in the IC form (already got one response stating this).

I'd like to explain why I picked this specific font though - the sublegends I've designed have all come from examples of delftware I've searched through the internet for, and although I was using vector images to mimic these, I've tried to keep them looking a little 'off' to mimic the small deviations that come through when you're handpainting such intricate designs. In order to fit the theme I spent many hours looking through various websites, even trying my hand at designing a new font from scratch, in order to look similar to how the signatures on the bottom looked. I referred to this image constantly:

Show Image

Instead of trying to go for something completely crazy, I felt using something with a handwritten style that was close to the GMK legends was the way to go, as delftware is handpainted, it felt wrong using such a consistent looking font. I understand with this hobby that consistency is usually king, but in my opinion, this set isn't about being consistent but about the beauty in something that is handmade.

TL;DR: Let me know in the IC form and I will change it back.

Thank you for the explanation. I definitely understand where you're coming from, and why the change makes sense given the inspiration of this set. I also applaud your efforts; creating a typeface is no easy task! You've certainly done a good job of mimicking the hand-painted look of the lettering, so I would say that you've achieved your goal there. Now, of course, this is just one man's opinion, but I believe there's a fine line to be drawn between sticking close to the source material and respecting the aesthetics and conventions of the medium (in this case, Cherry-style plastic keycaps). And in this case, the different overall font crosses that line just slightly.

Again, just my opinion! I think you've done a great job regardless of which style you decide on in the end :)

[Zephyraeon]

Thank you for the feedback, if the consensus is to move back to a more 'default' font, I can do that - let me know in the IC form (already got one response stating this).

I'd like to explain why I picked this specific font though - the sublegends I've designed have all come from examples of delftware I've searched through the internet for, and although I was using vector images to mimic these, I've tried to keep them looking a little 'off' to mimic the small deviations that come through when you're handpainting such intricate designs. In order to fit the theme I spent many hours looking through various websites, even trying my hand at designing a new font from scratch, in order to look similar to how the signatures on the bottom looked. I referred to this image constantly:

Show Image

Instead of trying to go for something completely crazy, I felt using something with a handwritten style that was close to the GMK legends was the way to go, as delftware is handpainted, it felt wrong using such a consistent looking font. I understand with this hobby that consistency is usually king, but in my opinion, this set isn't about being consistent but about the beauty in something that is handmade.

TL;DR: Let me know in the IC form and I will change it back.

Thank you for the explanation. I definitely understand where you're coming from, and why the change makes sense given the inspiration of this set. I also applaud your efforts; creating a typeface is no easy task! You've certainly done a good job of mimicking the hand-painted look of the lettering, so I would say that you've achieved your goal there. Now, of course, this is just one man's opinion, but I believe there's a fine line to be drawn between sticking close to the source material and respecting the aesthetics and conventions of the medium (in this case, Cherry-style plastic keycaps). And in this case, the different overall font crosses that line just slightly.

Again, just my opinion! I think you've done a great job regardless of which style you decide on in the end :)

Yeah, I see your point and I'm glad you brought it up. I work in data analytics so if the data says to change back, I will.

Also, wanted to clarify the typefaces in the renders were not designed by me (but I have paid for licensing to use them). I got about 4 letters into my font before I realised what a gargantuan task it was to design a font where every character fits together and decided on another approach.   ;)

[goddream]

it just gets cuter and cuter

[Agilr]

.ooooh yes

[huangm49]

The left tab in base looks a bit too busy, with both the icons and the "tab", maybe change sizes or opt for one or the other?

Otherwise, can't wait for the set!

[santela]

I'm more of a darker keycap guy, but this idea is great and the keycaps look awesome!

[euphxenos]

Are the old renders still available somewhere for comparison?  I seem to recall liking the previous renders better than the new ones, but it would be easier to judge if I could actually compare them side by side (and I think only the new renders are in the OP now).  Am I misremembering, or were there blue mods or a blue mod kit in the previous set of kits?

[niakulah]

Are the old renders still available somewhere for comparison?  I seem to recall liking the previous renders better than the new ones, but it would be easier to judge if I could actually compare them side by side (and I think only the new renders are in the OP now).  Am I misremembering, or were there blue mods or a blue mod kit in the previous set of kits?

I liked the old ones better too. They were a lighter blue and yes there were blue mods.

Edit: I'm doubting myself now about the blue mods, but I think it makes sense since there are blue mods "leftover" in the new numpad kit.

[1391401]

My only thoughts are the blue looks wrong.  I'm using a pixelbook chromebook so maybe the color reproduction of the screen is poor.

I think the color has changed? because looking at the "big update" the color looks really good now!

[Jojjelito]

This is pure class! Filled out the form; I like both font options. Goding to get all the kits, wish for NorDeUK of course, but can live in pure ANSI or US-ISO land too. Fingers crossed!

[synthtastic]

Glad to see this is still alive. Absolutely fantastic. Wasn’t a fan of the new font upon first glance, but it’s growing on me for sure. The sublegends and novelties are amazing!

[alphabirth]

Super stoked to see this moving forward--this is one of the ICs I'm most excited about right now.  Filled out the form.  I'm on the fence about the new typeface...  I kinda like it on the alphas, but it seems like a bit much on the mods.  Maybe in Dutch it would look better, as Dutch looks weird already.  I also preferred the lighter shade of blue from the previous renders; even if the new shade is technically closer to real ceramics, I think the old shade is closer to my perception of what I think ceramics should look like.  Either way, I'm in for this set! 

[Zephyraeon]

Are the old renders still available somewhere for comparison?  I seem to recall liking the previous renders better than the new ones, but it would be easier to judge if I could actually compare them side by side (and I think only the new renders are in the OP now).  Am I misremembering, or were there blue mods or a blue mod kit in the previous set of kits?

I liked the old ones better too. They were a lighter blue and yes there were blue mods.

Edit: I'm doubting myself now about the blue mods, but I think it makes sense since there are blue mods "leftover" in the new numpad kit.

I've taken the older renders down to not cause any confusion (they didn't have the sublegends or anything and yes, the blue has changed). There never was a mods kit, only accent keys (maybe I included too many numpad accent keys... I'm not a numpad user), at the time GMK Classic Blue was in IC and I didn't want to do anything too similar (still got compared to it a lot though lol).

For the blue colour change, I preferred the old one at first glance but after a while it looked a bit over saturated, especially for this theme.

Super stoked to see this moving forward--this is one of the ICs I'm most excited about right now.  Filled out the form.  I'm on the fence about the new typeface...  I kinda like it on the alphas, but it seems like a bit much on the mods.  Maybe in Dutch it would look better, as Dutch looks weird already.  I also preferred the lighter shade of blue from the previous renders; even if the new shade is technically closer to real ceramics, I think the old shade is closer to my perception of what I think ceramics should look like.  Either way, I'm in for this set! 

Jury's still out on the typeface (IC form results pretty evenly split), but if I do keep the current typeface I will still be revisiting the mods. I was stuck on them for around a month so just decided to get something done so I could get the new renders out, but most of the feedback I'm getting is that they don't really work.

I'm still leaning towards keeping the new typeface - if people want a PBT blue on white set with a standard typeface they also have ePBT TA Origins to choose. I'll make a final decision shortly, going to post on reddit for the first time sometime in the next few days and will see how the IC form responses are looking then.

[kidpid]

2.25u & 2.75u novelty spacebars would be nice!

[alphabirth]

Bueller?  My wallet is ready for this!

[Kokaloo]

Forgot about this one, can't remember if I filled out the form or not so I'mma do it again rofl. Really hope this still goes through!

[boneandbee]

Love the inspiration and the sublegend details! The novelties are also very cute

[niakulah]

Just noticed that the numpad kit doesn't have any R5 keys. 108 key/1800/CP/96% boards would need this above the numpad.

[low_key_keyboards]

This is 100% the set I didn't know I needed.
Love the sub legends that aren't a language. So rare to see.

[zoo]

All in if sublegends feature Zapf Dingbats

[Zephyraeon]

I've been a bit quiet here as I've been waiting to see what the quality of various factories are like. Based on the IC form there isn't really a clear favourite for factory or typeface so I've been biding my time to see how other sets are coming out.

I've bought an Adelie to put these caps on so I'm going to ensure this happens (with 40% support too!) but the only two factories that seem to offer both 40% compatibility and reverse dyesub are Infinikey and KAT. I'm not super happy with the quality I've seen for either of these manu's yet so haven't settled on a final factory. Hopefully will come to a decision by the end of the year.

As for other changes to the set:

• Going to move to a slightly lighter blue colour which is closer to the original blue
• The 1u ortho enter keys will be moved to R4
• The accent keys will be removed from numpad kit and 2u enter accent key added to accent kit
• Modifiers will change from text+icon to icon + bottom row, still working on these

I'll refresh the renders in the next few weeks with these changes and will hopefully have factory + vendor announcements too.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me - this IC has been pretty long but I've wanted to make sure that the final product is as good as it can be (for a non-GMK set anyway).

2.25u & 2.75u novelty spacebars would be nice!

I'll consider this but didn't want the novelty kit to get too bloated.

Just noticed that the numpad kit doesn't have any R5 keys. 108 key/1800/CP/96% boards would need this above the numpad.

The End and PgDn keys in the numpad kit would be the same profile as the F-keys above, with those plus the top row Del key in the base kit, isn't this enough for those layouts?

All in if sublegends feature Zapf Dingbats

Sublegends will be staying as is, sorry Spent too many hours on them to change them now!

[niakulah]

The End and PgDn keys in the numpad kit would be the same profile as the F-keys above, with those plus the top row Del key in the base kit, isn't this enough for those layouts?

So if I understand correctly, other than the standard Print, Lock, Pause, you have Del, /, End, and Pg Down.

108 users have no choice but to use Del, /, End, Pg Down. The other 3 keys are already used.

CP/1800/96% could choose between those 7 keys. But with the exception of certain boards like the Austin, they don't have a nav cluster, and don't have a row of keys down the right side. Which means that most layouts wouldn't be able to have Home, Page Up, Insert anywhere on the board ans still keep the numpad intact with this current kitting. KAT kits typically have the whole nav cluster in R5 profile in the numpad kit.

Have a look at say, the NYM96 and Leopold FC980M and see how would you fill those with your current kitting?

[Zephyraeon]

The End and PgDn keys in the numpad kit would be the same profile as the F-keys above, with those plus the top row Del key in the base kit, isn't this enough for those layouts?

So if I understand correctly, other than the standard Print, Lock, Pause, you have Del, /, End, and Pg Down.

108 users have no choice but to use Del, /, End, Pg Down. The other 3 keys are already used.

CP/1800/96% could choose between those 7 keys. But with the exception of certain boards like the Austin, they don't have a nav cluster, and don't have a row of keys down the right side. Which means that most layouts wouldn't be able to have Home, Page Up, Insert anywhere on the board ans still keep the numpad intact with this current kitting. KAT kits typically have the whole nav cluster in R5 profile in the numpad kit.

Have a look at say, the NYM96 and Leopold FC980M and see how would you fill those with your current kitting?

This set is currently designed around being cherry profile, the row-by-row profiles are as follows: R1, R1, R2, R3, R4, R4

This means that both the F-row and the num-row rows are the same profile and keycaps here can be mixed and matched without messing up the row profiles. So for FC980M you already do have Ins/Del/PgUp/Home in the base kit, and End/PgDn are in the numpad add on kit.

For 108 key keyboards (I'm assuming that's just regular full size with 4 additional keys in the F-row above the numpad) you would be restricted to using only Del/Pipe/End/PgDn, or some of the novelties if you bought that kit too, but every other necessary key is included (and these 108 keyboard layouts don't appear to be standard so I can't plan for those anyway).

[Surefoot]

I'm not an ISO user so I've used other light ISO compatibility kits to determine what keys to include. If you would like more ISO compat, please let me know what keys you'd like, and I'll see what I can do. Ultimately it comes down to kit pricing when I decide on a manufacturer.

It would be very nice to have minimal UK support so 2", 3£ and '@ #~ keys (we can live without the ¬ really..). This is a great set and would be fantastic if it's the same manufacturer as Mito Pegaso as that set turned out fantastic.

[ronny boi]

I thought ePBT has the 1.25u R3 now since skadi used it?

[Ciantha]

The compatibility in the base kit is beyond cool. Ortho in base 
Well done  This is a must buy for me.

[Havattack]

Stumbled across this today, might be of interest to those eyeing this here set https://www.etsy.com/listing/909482771/limited-edition-fine-china-set-artisan?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=keycaps&ref=sr_gallery-98-38&pro=1&frs=1

[Zephyraeon]

TL;DR updates from today:
- Factory will be SP, DCS PBT dye-sub with doubleshot ABS accent keys (couldn't find any reverse dye-sub factories I was happy with)
- Typeface has been changed (again) to Gorton
- DCS samples have arrived! Pics in the main post
- Final blue (almost) decided on - two options to pick, see the colours section of the main post and let me know in the IC form which one you like.
- Some proxies announced (see the main post)
- Dedicated discord server to ask questions
- Some slight kitting changes based on feedback
- Updated renders coming soon

Hope everyone had a great time over the holiday period, even those of us who couldn't spend the time with their families because of quarantines.

[Zephyraeon]

Stumbled across this today, might be of interest to those eyeing this here set https://www.etsy.com/listing/909482771/limited-edition-fine-china-set-artisan?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=keycaps&ref=sr_gallery-98-38&pro=1&frs=1

Those look amazing, if anyone has bought and has a pantone deck I would love to know what blue was used.

[nu_types]

Very interesting, dyesub + abs. DCS none the less. Looking forward to seeing any updates!

[Slayer77]

Where's the new IC form? Can't seem to find it. Also can you consider adding zfrontier?

Sent from my GM1911 using Tapatalk

[Zephyraeon]

Where's the new IC form? Can't seem to find it. Also can you consider adding zfrontier?

Sent from my GM1911 using Tapatalk

IC form is linked at the top and bottom of the main post but you can also click here.

Is there a reason you want zFrontier when ILUMKB will already be proxying for the region?

[synthtastic]

Really looking forward to this one!

[L-Ron]

Those samples look incredible, definitely onboard for this one.

[would?]

The samples look amazing, the colour is super pretty. I like the contrast of the thinner DCS legends against the subs very much

[goddream]

this keeps on getting better and better, super keen for this zeph

[amptoc]

unique sublegends is such a fresh idea and progress looks super promising, in 100%

[kidpid]

To me the legends themselves look too thin, and make the set look a little cheap, especially when juxtaposed with the thick sublegends. Besides that, though, the samples look solid!

[catamscott]

this going to dcs made this an insta buy for me. samples look really good, too!

[Zephyraeon]

To me the legends themselves look too thin, and make the set look a little cheap, especially when juxtaposed with the thick sublegends. Besides that, though, the samples look solid!

The differing thickness of the legends and sublegends also bothers me a little, I'm going to mock up some thinner lines for the sublegends on a few of the caps (e.g. V, 5) so that the line thickness is more consistent, and see whether that looks better than how it currently is.

[treeleaf64]

Treeleaf is interested in DCS
He likes blue
and he also likes the sublegends

they are a novelty
As if the sky and ocean combined to make a keycap set

[treeleaf64]

I think I need some counseling to break this bad habit of talking in third person

[Puddsy]

updates look great, super excited for this

[Puddsy]

I think I need some counseling to break this bad habit of talking in third person

i was gonna say

[scrubbiecris]

this is looking really good! excited to see how the project progresses!

[matthewdias]

Really excited for this one, it looks great. Hope to see minivan support added

[hallowqueen]

This set is so incredibly beautiful!

[Zephyraeon]

Hi everyone,

Hope you're all as excited as I am by the most recent update. I've been so grateful for all the amazing feedback and suggestions that I've got in the IC forms. There were a few good suggestions I wanted to mention as to why they weren't included so that you guys know that they have been heard.
Compatibility:
I had a few requests for each of the following:
- F13 keys (not added to keep prices down + that's what the novelties/artisans are for!)
- R2 1u tab and R3 1u esc for planck, r2 1.75u backspace, r3 1.5u enter (not enough interest in 40s to add more than the bare minimum compatibility already in base kit)
- 3u spacebars (I wanted these but not enough support - should be easy enough to buy blank keys from SP through pimpmykeyboard)
- 6u spacebar (there's a centred 6u spacebar included in basekit)
- 2u shift (sorry but no)
- stepped control (as above)
- Dutch mods/ISO/etc. (I tried to research into this but it looked like the mods were mostly still in English ANSI in the Netherlands so I've kept it all boring)

Collabs:
- Latrialum (love her work, but she mainly does cherry profile blanks, the slight difference between cherry and DCS profiles would annoy me)
- Ceramic keycaps (pretty sure this just isn't feasible - too much margin for error)

If there's still something you don't quite like about the set as it stands now, please let me know either through the IC form, on this IC thread, or on Discord. The kits and stuff are mostly finalised but there may be the chance to make a couple last minute tweaks.

Thanks all,
Zeph

EDIT: fixing Danish -> Dutch (sorry about that)

[Michabc]

Cool set - really looking forward to it - just take care though while doing a Delftware inspired set it’s Dutch not Danish (it’s like calling Aussies Austrians) we use a EN international layout - mostly with ISO - GLWGB!

[Zephyraeon]

Cool set - really looking forward to it - just take care though while doing a Delftware inspired set it’s Dutch not Danish (it’s like calling Aussies Austrians) we use a international US layout - mostly with ISO - GLWGB!

My bad on that mistake - if you have any suggestions on modifying the legends to make it more authentic I would love to hear them, not sure if the current design is similar to what you would use and I'd really love to try and make the set as Dutch as possible given the theme.

[vanyll]

I always wondered how people can buy several base kits of a set that is not BoW / WoB or any other basic colour. Well, here we go... I love everything about it! Well done.

[Ciantha]

- R2 1u tab and R3 1u esc for planck, r2 1.75u backspace, r3 1.5u enter (not enough interest in 40s to add more than the bare minimum compatibility already in base kit)

I just wanted to mention that the 40s layout requiring  r2 1.75u backspace, r3 1.5u enter and r3 1.25 tab (based on the minivan layout) is one of the most popular, probably even the single most popular, layouts for staggered 40s with many existing keyboards and new projects in the works.

When the 40s discords gives recommendations for minimum 40s support these are the three keys that are recommended.

I would want to suggest replacing the 1.75 enter (there's both capslock and control for the right size and profile already) with a 1.5 enter. At that point you'd only need to add one key (1.75 bs) to support a big portion of 40s.

You of course have the right to kit things as you see fit but I wanted to add this in case the reasoning behind asking for these specific keys hadn't been expressed in the IC.

[Zephyraeon]

- R2 1u tab and R3 1u esc for planck, r2 1.75u backspace, r3 1.5u enter (not enough interest in 40s to add more than the bare minimum compatibility already in base kit)

I just wanted to mention that the 40s layout requiring  r2 1.75u backspace, r3 1.5u enter and r3 1.25 tab (based on the minivan layout) is one of the most popular, probably even the single most popular, layouts for staggered 40s with many existing keyboards and new projects in the works.

When the 40s discords gives recommendations for minimum 40s support these are the three keys that are recommended.

I would want to suggest replacing the 1.75 enter (there's both capslock and control for the right size and profile already) with a 1.5 enter. At that point you'd only need to add one key (1.75 bs) to support a big portion of 40s.

You of course have the right to kit things as you see fit but I wanted to add this in case the reasoning behind asking for these specific keys hadn't been expressed in the IC.

I understand your points around adding a couple more keys for better 40s compatibility but I just haven't seen the interest from the 40s crowd to justify adding more than I have here (there were 3 people max asking for 1.75u backspace/1.5u enter). I wanted Delftware to have some 40s support so tried to include the keys that were necessary for the 40s keyboards I've been most invested in, without trying to bloat the base kit too much (probably failed here). I did look at splitting 40s from base and adding more keys for greater 40s compatibility and it didn't really look like a viable decision from a pricing standpoint. 

[alphabirth]

Lets goooo!  So hyped this is finally getting rolling, and in DCS too where maybe the queue isn't so crazy? 
@Zeph, I think you added the wrong image on the first post though--you've got some random-ass green caps on there now!   

[Surefoot]

Lets goooo!  So hyped this is finally getting rolling, and in DCS too where maybe the queue isn't so crazy? 

Since it's Signature Plastics, it will go into their queue, FWIW it's been consistent during the last years but it's not really short

[tex_live_utility]

I love that this project is still underway. Finally a PBT DCS keyset for MX switches! Great design, too.

[treeleaf64]

I will buy it when I get money

[kure_]

Cool idea. Nice and fresh.

[SleepyJacky]

Really cool look with these. Interested! 

[Zephyraeon]

@Zeph, I think you added the wrong image on the first post though--you've got some random-ass green caps on there now!   

The green and grey caps previously there were to show the DCS icon mods as I didn't have the assets required to get accurate renders done. Based on feedback I've decided to redo the icon mods myself (again), new renders reflect the actual icon mods that will be on the final product.

Lets goooo!  So hyped this is finally getting rolling, and in DCS too where maybe the queue isn't so crazy? 

Since it's Signature Plastics, it will go into their queue, FWIW it's been consistent during the last years but it's not really short

I've actually talked with SP about this and they have communicated to me that the DCS production time is fairly short. I know SP SA can take a long time, but based on recent communications I'm fully expecting Delftware to be fulfilled in 2021.

[Zephyraeon]

2-March update:

• ProtoTypist added as UK vendor
• Third deskmat design added
• Small kitting changes in base kit - added Minivan support at the expense of some ortho keys
• New icon mods
• Second round of samples ordered to test line thickness of current typeface - probably moving away from Gorton/standard DCS typeface

[Mikhail]

Looks supa good, but on "Keycap samples and colours" real photos latin letters are too low!

[redlion145]

I'm going to be honest. I love the colors. I don't love that the "unique" sublegends repeat across multiple keys, and some that aren't meant to be repeats look very similar to other legends. The E, F, G, tilde, I, quotation mark, and equals sign all have essentially the same sublegend. I'd rather have less keys filled with a second legend rather than six or seven repeated legends. Just an opinion. Otherwise, I love the idea, and the majority of the execution.

Don't let me stop you, it looks like it'll be a great set. Just probably not for me.

[Surefoot]

Usually Signature Plastics use ABS for their DCS sets.
Since this is going to be a PBT set:
- are they using new molds ? ABS molds cannot be use for PBT due to different shrinkage rates
- what is the wall thickness ? Their ABS sets were really thin (1mm) and didnt feel good at all.

[catamscott]

Usually Signature Plastics use ABS for their DCS sets.
Since this is going to be a PBT set:
- are they using new molds ? ABS molds cannot be use for PBT due to different shrinkage rates
- what is the wall thickness ? Their ABS sets were really thin (1mm) and didnt feel good at all.

afaik sp has always been able to do pbt dcs, or at least this hasn't been a recent development. i know dcs alps throwback was done in pbt and that was over a year ago at least, and i can't imagine they'd have capability to do alps caps in pbt but not mx caps. should be same wall thickness though

[Zephyraeon]

Hi everyone!

This should be the final update pre-GB (only a couple more days left to go!)

In this update:

• Gorton decided on as final font (same as DCS Red Alert and DCS Yuri) - round 2 samples didn't work out but Gorton still looked great in round 1 samples
• All renders updated to be as Gorton-like as possible
• USD pricing added for all kits + deskmats
• RAMA cap renders!
• And a couple more board renders added

Thanks everyone for your support

[mayorpeepo]

wow, this set is so gorgeous! those sublegends are to die for. instacop for sure!

[Zephyraeon]

Hi everyone!

This should be the final update pre-GB (only a couple more days left to go!)

In this update:

• Gorton decided on as final font (same as DCS Red Alert and DCS Yuri) - round 2 samples didn't work out but Gorton still looked great in round 1 samples
• All renders updated to be as Gorton-like as possible
• USD pricing added for all kits + deskmats
• RAMA cap renders!
• And a couple more board renders added

Thanks everyone for your support

So that wasn't the final update...

RAMA cap pricing has been added to the main post - $56USD per cap.

Also want to point out that the production time for DCS keycaps is much shorter than most recent keycap GBs (about 2-3 months manufacturing time), so Delftware should easily be fulfilled in 2021.

[katasup]

Is SP really so expensive?

[acitrin]

Is SP really so expensive?

SP’s dyesub lines are surprisingly expensive... they quote that their dyesub process is more manual than their doubleshot process.

[tex_live_utility]

Yeah, this looks pretty manual:

I'm OK with $140 for the base kit. It reminds me of what GMK used to cost back when keysets had a serious risk of not making 150 MOQ with stock colors. If this one set comes out well and the community is happy with it, hopefully future sets will be able to run at higher MOQs and therefore have lower prices.

[katasup]

More

Yeah, this looks pretty manual:

I'm OK with $140 for the base kit. It reminds me of what GMK used to cost back when keysets had a serious risk of not making 150 MOQ with stock colors. If this one set comes out well and the community is happy with it, hopefully future sets will be able to run at higher MOQs and therefore have lower prices.

Thankfully this video I now understand how does sp straighten their caps 

[Zephyraeon]

Last minute vendor addition - zFrontier for China.

Some of the vendors have gone live with this already:
https://alphakeys.ca/collections/dcs-delftware
https://dailyclack.com/collections/group-buys/products/dcs-delftware
https://store.projectkeyboard.com/collections/dcs-delftware
http://www.zfrontier.com/app/mch/EBbzAEZyazDB
https://prototypist.net/collections/live-group-buys/products/group-buy-dcs-delftware
https://mykeyboard.eu/search/?q=delftware

EDIT: GB post link: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=112032

Thanks all for following this IC and for all of your feedback. See you in the next post