geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: FreshFromTheGrave on Thu, 04 June 2020, 11:24:35

Title: Questions from a total noob (designing keycaps)
Post by: FreshFromTheGrave on Thu, 04 June 2020, 11:24:35

Hi all! I'm a noob looking to fill in some blanks after reading some resources about designing and bringing keycaps to market. I'm a designer by trade and looking forward to merging my professional expertise with my hobby and make some awesome keysets that go beyond just changing colourways.

My main questions are about taking a successful IC and actually starting work with a vendor or manufacturer:

Who do you contact and how? Do you just email whatever contact information is available on the vendors site and say hey I've got this great IC for you? Do people usually just get ignored and left with no way to progress if they aren't an established designer or have existing contacts?

What files are required to deliver to the manufacturer? Do you just do all your work in Illustrator and supply EPS files of all your keys? Then a list of Pantone colours and an explanation of what should go where?

Does the designer assume any risk or have any upfront costs if a vendor is running the group buy?

And lastly while I know we don't do this for the money, I'm curious to know what kind of payout a designer gets from a moderately successful group buy run by a vendor. It's just good to know whether the hundreds of hours you might put into making this product a reality are worth it as a side gig or if it's purely a passion project.

Extra noob question: Do you get a free set of your own keycaps in a successful group buy?

Thanks everyone!

Title: Re: Questions from a total noob (designing keycaps)
Post by: TylerTypes on Wed, 17 June 2020, 15:56:34

Hi, I also have all of these same questions! someone smart help pls<3