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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: phinix on Fri, 13 October 2023, 18:01:19

Title: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
Post by: phinix on Fri, 13 October 2023, 18:01:19
UV printed legends on ABS caps - do those come off with time?
Title: Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 13 October 2023, 22:06:05
"UV printing" is pad-printing followed by a coating of clear UV-cured resin. The resin coating is supposed to make it last longer against wear than ordinary pad-printing.

So, yes, it can wear out. Just not as easily as pad-printed keys. And by then the keys are probably already shiny.

You can often spot it as a raised outline.
Title: Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
Post by: phinix on Sat, 14 October 2023, 08:51:05
"UV printing" is pad-printing followed by a coating of clear UV-cured resin. The resin coating is supposed to make it last longer against wear than ordinary pad-printing.

So, yes, it can wear out. Just not as easily as pad-printed keys. And by then the keys are probably already shiny.

You can often spot it as a raised outline.

so whole cap is coated?
that wear shouldn't happen quickly, right? like years of usage? or quickly, like after 2 years or so?
Title: Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
Post by: Findecanor on Sat, 14 October 2023, 10:36:50
so whole cap is coated?
No, it is usually just the legend and a small border around it. Sometimes the insides of letters are completely coated.

On a white-on-black keycap, you can often see the UV resin as a black outline around the white letter. The outline is often shinier and smoother than the keycap plastic's texture.
Title: Re: Do UV printed legends wear off with time?
Post by: phinix on Sat, 14 October 2023, 16:00:52
so whole cap is coated?
No, it is usually just the legend and a small border around it. Sometimes the insides of letters are completely coated.

On a white-on-black keycap, you can often see the UV resin as a black outline around the white letter. The outline is often shinier and smoother than the keycap plastic's texture.


I wonder how long would these for example survive.

(https://kbdfans.com/cdn/shop/files/5_da67a563-173b-4f8f-aab8-b39f86d87b1f.jpg?v=1691031394)