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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Danny356 on Sat, 01 September 2012, 02:52:47

Title: What color?
Post by: Danny356 on Sat, 01 September 2012, 02:52:47
What color blank key cap would show the least noticeable amount of shine/wear? Would be in a well lit office type of environment.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: Alessandro on Sat, 01 September 2012, 03:36:47
White usually. And some shades of grey.

Black is usually the most noticeable for shine.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 01 September 2012, 22:01:13
Wouldn't that depend more on the key cap material than the colour?
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: karljs on Sun, 02 September 2012, 13:34:04
White usually. And some shades of grey.

Black is usually the most noticeable for shine.

I have some white keycaps from WASD and they definitely shine. I'm really just guessing, but grey or beige might be better.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: PointyFox on Sun, 02 September 2012, 15:52:01
Just polish them all and make them all shine.  Problem solved.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: longweight on Sun, 02 September 2012, 17:04:34
All colours will become shiny as they all start out matte and end up smooth.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: Rafen on Sun, 02 September 2012, 18:28:33
I would think that white would be the least noticeable and darker colors would show shine the most.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: sth on Sun, 02 September 2012, 18:29:37
PBT colored.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: thegunner100 on Sun, 02 September 2012, 18:53:56
Agreed, just go PBT and you won't have to worry about shines for a while.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: dorkvader on Sun, 02 September 2012, 20:24:02
PBT colored.
PBT is my favourite color.

I don't mind shiny keycaps: Reminds me of my Selectric typewriter: Old School!

The reason I think white is less noticeable shiny is because shine or glare is normally bright white, and it'd blend it better to the already white keycaps, as opposed to the black keycaps, which would contrast to it. That's my theory, anyway.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: PointyFox on Sun, 02 September 2012, 22:19:47
PBT colored.
PBT is my favourite color.

I don't mind shiny keycaps: Reminds me of my Selectric typewriter: Old School!

The reason I think white is less noticeable shiny is because shine or glare is normally bright white, and it'd blend it better to the already white keycaps, as opposed to the black keycaps, which would contrast to it. That's my theory, anyway.

White reflects more light than black, so the gradient is smaller and the shine is less noticeable.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 02 September 2012, 23:12:08
PBT colored.
PBT is my favourite color.

I don't mind shiny keycaps: Reminds me of my Selectric typewriter: Old School!

The reason I think white is less noticeable shiny is because shine or glare is normally bright white, and it'd blend it better to the already white keycaps, as opposed to the black keycaps, which would contrast to it. That's my theory, anyway.

White reflects more light than black, so the gradient is smaller and the shine is less noticeable.

what gradient, lol that's making stuff up right there.  :p

Maybe color constancy plays a role.  :-*
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: PointyFox on Mon, 03 September 2012, 00:42:03
PBT colored.
PBT is my favourite color.

I don't mind shiny keycaps: Reminds me of my Selectric typewriter: Old School!

The reason I think white is less noticeable shiny is because shine or glare is normally bright white, and it'd blend it better to the already white keycaps, as opposed to the black keycaps, which would contrast to it. That's my theory, anyway.

White reflects more light than black, so the gradient is smaller and the shine is less noticeable.

what gradient, lol that's making stuff up right there.  :p

Maybe color constancy plays a role.  :-*

(These take into account only light in the axis of concern)

Light reflected = total incident light - light scattered due to surface roughness - light absorbed
difference between shine reflection and non shine reflection =  ABS [ (light scattered due to surface shine - light scattered due to surface roughness) ]
Light gradient = difference between shine reflection and non shine reflection / light reflected 

Here, "light reflected" will be higher for white and lower for black due to less light being absorbed.
That results in a smaller difference between shine and no shine areas on white in relation to a higher reflected light total.

Q.E.D.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: dorkvader on Mon, 03 September 2012, 20:35:24
PBT colored.
PBT is my favourite color.

I don't mind shiny keycaps: Reminds me of my Selectric typewriter: Old School!

The reason I think white is less noticeable shiny is because shine or glare is normally bright white, and it'd blend it better to the already white keycaps, as opposed to the black keycaps, which would contrast to it. That's my theory, anyway.

White reflects more light than black, so the gradient is smaller and the shine is less noticeable.
So you think it's the differing albedo? I like you way of putting it as a lesser colour gradient. The terminology quite fits.

If one had a green-lit room (think thesoulhunter), then green keycaps might be better than white
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 03 September 2012, 20:42:32
In that case: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34873.msg645247#msg645247
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: PointyFox on Mon, 03 September 2012, 22:34:35
PBT colored.
PBT is my favourite color.

I don't mind shiny keycaps: Reminds me of my Selectric typewriter: Old School!

The reason I think white is less noticeable shiny is because shine or glare is normally bright white, and it'd blend it better to the already white keycaps, as opposed to the black keycaps, which would contrast to it. That's my theory, anyway.

White reflects more light than black, so the gradient is smaller and the shine is less noticeable.
So you think it's the differing albedo? I like you way of putting it as a lesser colour gradient. The terminology quite fits.

If one had a green-lit room (think thesoulhunter), then green keycaps might be better than white

Yes, differing albedo.  Higher albedo will produce a higher "noise floor" for the shine/no-shine gradient and make it less noticeable.

If the walls are green and the key caps are green, green light reflecting off the walls will then reflect again off the key caps, but not be absorbed as much as other colors.
This would decrease the "light absorbed" value which would increase the "light reflected" value.  If the light reflected is increased, the light gradient would be decreased and the relative difference of the shine versus no shine would be decreased and shine would not be as noticeable. 

Title: Re: What color?
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 04 September 2012, 22:47:22
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: posthaste on Thu, 06 September 2012, 10:35:17
Those old white/beige IBM Model M keyboards were very resistent to that kind of wear.  Apple also made a full-size white (heavy-duty) keyboard back in the early '90s that never shined up no matter how much I pounded on it.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 06 September 2012, 20:33:48
Those old white/beige IBM Model M keyboards were very resistent to that kind of wear.  Apple also made a full-size white (heavy-duty) keyboard back in the early '90s that never shined up no matter how much I pounded on it.
'cause the Apple Extended keyboard and the IBM keyboards both used PBT keycaps.

That's why "pbt coloured" keycaps don't shine.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: sth on Thu, 06 September 2012, 20:34:47
i should take a picture of my AEKII. the case is disgusting but the keys are sparkling white.
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: posthaste on Thu, 06 September 2012, 21:15:51
For old time's sake:

Title: Re: What color?
Post by: sth on Thu, 06 September 2012, 22:38:08
that one actually looks pretty decent. the body on mine is very yellow.
in related news i got an imate in the mail so i might actually start using my aek!
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Thu, 24 January 2013, 04:50:11
@PointyFox
Are involved in some sort of image/video processing/compression development by chance?
Just asking because your way of explaining this things sound so familiar to me... >.>
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: Rapid on Fri, 25 January 2013, 06:13:49
White usually. And some shades of grey.

Black is usually the most noticeable for shine.


All 50 shades of grey work
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: PointyFox on Sat, 26 January 2013, 02:21:17
@PointyFox
Are involved in some sort of image/video processing/compression development by chance?
Just asking because your way of explaining this things sound so familiar to me... >.>

Nope!
Title: Re: What color?
Post by: noisyturtle on Sat, 26 January 2013, 02:27:31
A deep hue of off-auburn periwinkle with a cream wine lime base.
Title: What color?
Post by: Halverson on Sat, 26 January 2013, 02:29:29
A deep hue of off-auburn periwinkle with a cream wine lime base.

Made me lol