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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: KeyCapQueen on Sat, 25 March 2023, 11:15:35

Title: What do you consider as a "clean" injection mold?
Post by: KeyCapQueen on Sat, 25 March 2023, 11:15:35

How do you distinguish a HQ from a low quality injection / keycap? References would be appreciated!

Title: Re: What do you consider as a "clean" injection mold?
Post by: Rob27shred on Sat, 25 March 2023, 11:32:22

Beyond if the legends are all clean looking while being placed properly & all the caps fitting & sitting how they are supposed to. Looking at the underside & how clean or sloppy the double/tripleshot is, is a good indicator of quality. Is there any flashing present in any of the caps is another good indicator (flashing is when you see a line where the molten plastic came together. If the temp is too low it allows for the plastics to not blend together well), then how big & visible the sprue marks are is another indicator of quality I will use to judge the overall quality of any double/tripleshot keycaps. The same holds true for dyesubbed & UV printed caps, but I tend to be a little more forging with the printed legends compared to double/tripleshot legends.

Title: Re: What do you consider as a "clean" injection mold?
Post by: KeyCapQueen on Mon, 27 March 2023, 08:05:37

Thank you very much for the explanation. Is the harshness (or edge sharpness) of the keycaps edge something that people care about?

Title: Re: What do you consider as a "clean" injection mold?
Post by: Rob27shred on Mon, 27 March 2023, 09:28:21

Quote from: KeyCapQueen on Mon, 27 March 2023, 08:05:37

Thank you very much for the explanation. Is the harshness (or edge sharpness) of the keycaps edge something that people care about?

No problem, some people care about the sharpness/smoothness of the corners but I would put that down to more a preference thing. Unless the cap is wonky looking or something cause of its edges.