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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: HotKillerZzz on Wed, 18 September 2013, 08:39:19

Title: Question: How to dye keycaps?
Post by: HotKillerZzz on Wed, 18 September 2013, 08:39:19

After dying them, wont all the letter be gone?

Title: Re: Question: How to dye keycaps?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 18 September 2013, 08:43:25

Have you read any of the threads on using dye?

It all depends on the type and color of dye, type of keycap material and method used in creating the legends to begin with.

Title: Re: Question: How to dye keycaps?
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 18 September 2013, 08:46:47

Post #14 in this thread is very helpful.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35444.msg658453#msg658453 (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35444.msg658453#msg658453)

Remember that while PBT can be boiled in water and will take dye very well, the "softening" or "deforming" temperature of ABS and the activation temperature of the dye (80C-90C or 180F-190F) are just about the same and that it is very hard to get the dye to "take" without wrecking the shape of ABS caps.