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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

Title: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

So I'm really sick of our current options in electronics and want to create something that looks like it came out of an office in the 1970's.
They used a lot of off colors and shades of brown, orange, yellow, red etc.

What's the best way to get those bubble shaped keys and what keyboard would give me a detached cluster of arrow keys?
I'm not sure which brands can really give me a 1970s look as far as keycaps go.
My goal is to please my own aesthetics while horrifying proponents of "clean" (read bland) colors.

Here are some color ideas. Remember we want things that are rather barfy and earthy with a splash of orange, red, or yellow accent etc.

(https://www.breadbox64.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Post_header3.jpg)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/VT78.jpg)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/DEC_PDP-8_family_-_PDP-8F_%281972%29%2C_PDP-8_%281965%29%2C_PDP-8S_%28c.1966%29_-_and_Teletype_ASR-33_%281964%29%2C_on_the_side_of_Data_General_Eclips_%281974%29_%26_Nova_%281969%29_-_Computer_History_Museum_%282007-11-10_23.08.07_by_Carlo_Nardone%29.jpg/800px-thumbnail.jpg)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/KJQi7B1h3pnBq4jT61UJPiF3CCoTI6nmyc6lGWhGNyyMcnNTcW0fsvqPpqJEJM6AkwL-CgvMWhgfuPHEID9SuhX6JaImJdjnzA4)

(https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/sites/default/files/uploads/1974_hp65.jpg)

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: kajahtaa on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:56:42

I use Amber Screen on a wood keyboard.

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Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:59:21

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

What's the best way to get those bubble shaped keys

SA

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

and what keyboard would give me a detached cluster of arrow keys?

any standard TKL or full size? I guess I'm confused by your question here

Obviously people aren't making custom boards with injection-molded plastics so you're kinda outta luck case-wise. I mean really if you want a retro look, I would just get more into vintage boards. Deskthority is a great place to start.

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 19:56:36

Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:59:21

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

What's the best way to get those bubble shaped keys

SA

I'll have to look them up. All I've ever owned are Cherry and IBM boards. More variety these days I suppose...

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

and what keyboard would give me a detached cluster of arrow keys?

any standard TKL or full size? I guess I'm confused by your question here

Obviously people aren't making custom boards with injection-molded plastics so you're kinda outta luck case-wise. I mean really if you want a retro look, I would just get more into vintage boards. Deskthority is a great place to start.

I guess I just need a board where the arrow keys are separate, not the keyboards where the layout is a perfectly aligned matrix of keys.
Having the arrow keys mixed in with the others is hard since I tend to hook my finger on the corner of that arrow key cluster to find it while touch typing.

I just want to be absolutely sure I get it right the first time since some keys are specific to certain boards.
EDIT:
Hey these (https://www.amazon.com/ONECAP-Chocolate-Coloring-Mechanical-keyboard/dp/B07GFHKS12/ref=sr_1_10_sspa?dchild=1&hvadid=78546408131755&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=sa+keycaps&qid=1604366449&sr=8-10-spons&tag=mh0b-20&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExT1BLMlo5T1NYV0pZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTk1NzA4MlVKR1o4ODE4R1Q1VCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzUyOTQxMVdQSEZQV0NHSU1USyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=) look kind of close after searching your "SA" mention.

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 02 November 2020, 20:05:39

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 19:56:36

Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:59:21

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

What's the best way to get those bubble shaped keys

SA

I'll have to look them up. All I've ever owned are Cherry and IBM boards. More variety these days I suppose...

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

and what keyboard would give me a detached cluster of arrow keys?

any standard TKL or full size? I guess I'm confused by your question here

Obviously people aren't making custom boards with injection-molded plastics so you're kinda outta luck case-wise. I mean really if you want a retro look, I would just get more into vintage boards. Deskthority is a great place to start.

I guess I just need a board where the arrow keys are separate, not the keyboards where the layout is a perfectly aligned matrix of keys.
Having the arrow keys mixed in with the others is hard since I tend to hook my finger on the corner of that arrow key cluster to find it while touch typing.

I just want to be absolutely sure I get it right the first time since some keys are specific to certain boards.
EDIT:
Hey these (https://www.amazon.com/ONECAP-Chocolate-Coloring-Mechanical-keyboard/dp/B07GFHKS12/ref=sr_1_10_sspa?dchild=1&hvadid=78546408131755&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=sa+keycaps&qid=1604366449&sr=8-10-spons&tag=mh0b-20&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExT1BLMlo5T1NYV0pZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTk1NzA4MlVKR1o4ODE4R1Q1VCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzUyOTQxMVdQSEZQV0NHSU1USyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=) look kind of close after searching your "SA" mention.

I might just be high but I'm still confused about what exactly you are looking for out of the arrow keys lol. But yeah, SA is based on the profile of those older caps so there are plenty of retro-themed sets in SA/DSA.

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 20:44:43

Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 02 November 2020, 20:05:39

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 19:56:36

Quote from: hwood34 on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:59:21

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

What's the best way to get those bubble shaped keys

SA

I'll have to look them up. All I've ever owned are Cherry and IBM boards. More variety these days I suppose...

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 02 November 2020, 16:30:27

and what keyboard would give me a detached cluster of arrow keys?

any standard TKL or full size? I guess I'm confused by your question here

Obviously people aren't making custom boards with injection-molded plastics so you're kinda outta luck case-wise. I mean really if you want a retro look, I would just get more into vintage boards. Deskthority is a great place to start.

I guess I just need a board where the arrow keys are separate, not the keyboards where the layout is a perfectly aligned matrix of keys.
Having the arrow keys mixed in with the others is hard since I tend to hook my finger on the corner of that arrow key cluster to find it while touch typing.

I just want to be absolutely sure I get it right the first time since some keys are specific to certain boards.
EDIT:
Hey these (https://www.amazon.com/ONECAP-Chocolate-Coloring-Mechanical-keyboard/dp/B07GFHKS12/ref=sr_1_10_sspa?dchild=1&hvadid=78546408131755&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=sa+keycaps&qid=1604366449&sr=8-10-spons&tag=mh0b-20&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExT1BLMlo5T1NYV0pZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTk1NzA4MlVKR1o4ODE4R1Q1VCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzUyOTQxMVdQSEZQV0NHSU1USyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=) look kind of close after searching your "SA" mention.

I might just be high but I'm still confused about what exactly you are looking for out of the arrow keys lol. But yeah, SA is based on the profile of those older caps so there are plenty of retro-themed sets in SA/DSA.

Sorry, for my ambiguity... :P

Here is what I mean, see how the arrow cluster /is/ sepreate from the other keys?
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6f/1b/ac/6f1bac1003db85ed01fc4c7c8f2ba808.png)

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: mrvco on Sat, 07 November 2020, 15:24:58

(https://i.imgur.com/DjMSv3h.png)

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: yui on Mon, 09 November 2020, 06:50:24

wouldn't this key-set be pretty much what you are after? https://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-1976-keyset-two-shot/
or maybe one of the numerous "Dolch" sets?

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: Riverman on Mon, 09 November 2020, 16:25:59

I was thinking of the 1976 set, too, but the base set is out of stock.

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 09 November 2020, 19:43:28

Quote from: yui on Mon, 09 November 2020, 06:50:24

wouldn't this key-set be pretty much what you are after? https://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-1976-keyset-two-shot/
or maybe one of the numerous "Dolch" sets?

Some good color in there! I'd prefer the colored keys be only the modifier keys though with no special novelty icon shapes.
I'll have to find out what "Dolch" is...

Quote from: mrvco on Sat, 07 November 2020, 15:24:58

Show Image

(https://i.imgur.com/DjMSv3h.png)

Interesting color scheme reminds me a bit of Linux Mint's artwork.

Title: Re: Shades of dirt, barf, and orange - back to the 70s
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 09 November 2020, 21:04:09

Quote from: Pixel_Outlaw on Mon, 09 November 2020, 19:43:28

I'll have to find out what "Dolch" is...

iconic colorway from the old Dolch Pac network sniffers

(https://jcs.org/images/2018-03-20-windows_95-large.jpg)