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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Internetlad on Thu, 19 July 2012, 16:33:43

Title: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: Internetlad on Thu, 19 July 2012, 16:33:43

They're lasered, and yet in less than a week, I noticed fading on the WASD cluster and the K button (mic for valve games). Is it because the lettering is slightly raised?

I'm not unhappy, I knew they had a predisposition to fading. Just curious.

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: i3oilermaker on Thu, 19 July 2012, 16:37:20

Quote from: Internetlad on Thu, 19 July 2012, 16:33:43

They're lasered, and yet in less than a week, I noticed fading on the WASD cluster and the K button (mic for valve games). Is it because the lettering is slightly raised?

I'm not unhappy, I knew they had a predisposition to fading. Just curious.

I think Rosewill keys are pad-printed...correct me if I am wrong.

Mine faded a bit too

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: rknize on Thu, 19 July 2012, 16:58:18

Mine are pad printed, IIRC.  I have Rag's red-on-black caps on there now.

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: Internetlad on Thu, 04 October 2012, 11:28:31

hm. thought they were lasered. Thanks for clarifying.

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: DanGWanG on Thu, 04 October 2012, 11:30:32

Pad-print + ABS = lowest quality and heavily prone to fading and shininess

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: hashbaz on Thu, 04 October 2012, 11:52:04

Yah Rosewill keys are trash.  That's why I have literally never used the stock keys on my Rosewills. :)

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: Internetlad on Thu, 04 October 2012, 11:56:16

probably the only complaint about my rosewill so far is that where I rest my thumb(s) while typing (or gaming) below the spacebar has literally become shiny on the keyboard shell. Ugh.

And yeah I may as well have mirrored keycaps by now :p Hoping to get in a replacement set now that I have some spare pocket change. Shopping around and trying to get a good set.

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: DanGWanG on Thu, 04 October 2012, 11:58:09

I wouldn't recommend buying another set of Rosewill keycaps, despite the cheaper price.  Spend a little extra, and pick up some KBC PBT keycaps.  These last forever, are easy to clean, and virtually never shine.  Also, if by spare pocket change you really had a budget of about $100 to spend, look into getting a nice set of dyesub PBT keycaps from imsto.

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: hashbaz on Thu, 04 October 2012, 12:03:21

Or you can pick up a standard doubleshot set direct from SP now for $60: http://keycapsdirect.com/marketplace.php

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: Internetlad on Thu, 04 October 2012, 12:03:53

Quote from: DanGWanG on Thu, 04 October 2012, 11:58:09

I wouldn't recommend buying another set of Rosewill keycaps, despite the cheaper price.  Spend a little extra, and pick up some KBC PBT keycaps.  These last forever, are easy to clean, and virtually never shine.  Also, if by spare pocket change you really had a budget of about $100 to spend, look into getting a nice set of dyesub PBT keycaps from imsto.

I've got a 33 set + some extras of the gold zincs in pending from gimpster in the classified. Thinking I might fill it out with a set of Silver Zincs for the mods etc.

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: jeroplane on Thu, 04 October 2012, 12:12:29

Quote from: DanGWanG on Thu, 04 October 2012, 11:30:32

Pad-print + ABS = lowest quality and heavily prone to fading and shininess

Yeah, so sick of my stock Filco thin pad-printed ABS keys. All my letters are already slightly faded, and it's only been about a month so far. Also I'm starting to hate how thin they sound. Good news is I'll be replacing them with some Cherry double shots real soon!

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: Megaweapon on Sat, 06 October 2012, 16:30:44

They aren't pad printed because that's not how they are speced:

Quote from: NewEgg "Details" page for RK-9000 keyboards

Laser printing design for the keycap

My understanding is that there are various qualities of laser printing when it comes to keycaps.

So buyer beware, I guess...

Title: Re: Why do Rosewill letters fade so quickly?
Post by: Internetlad on Sat, 06 October 2012, 17:23:41

whatever they are, they're turds.