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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Touch_It on Thu, 30 October 2014, 20:10:54
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Does anyone have pictures of unicomp pearl, pebble, gray, and white keycaps. Trying to decide what color combo I want for my 4704-107 key. Also open to suggestions. I will be doing a brushed aluminum look outer case.
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I have some crappy pics of gray and pearl / pebble // let me find.
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(http://s28.postimg.org/hhp111hsd/BS62.jpg)
(http://s21.postimg.org/kdv5f5skn/20141028_065541.jpg)
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Thanks. I do like the gray color. Thinking maybe black blanks for the alpha keys, but then IDK about the rest. Thinking maybe grey or white printed. I think the contrast might be pretty cool between black and white.
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Black alphas with gray modifiers would look cool. If you go to this page, you can edit the colors of the keys to get an idea what it may look like :
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/00254d346b36fabb82377812ec7e45bc
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Cool website. It definitely helps me get the picture but hard for me to get a great idea as I'm a very visual person. At any rate though, I think that I do like the gray modifiers. I both love and hate decisions, lol.
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(http://i.imgur.com/wV2WRl5.png)
Forgot where I grabbed this from but this is the cap colors that Unicomp or IBM had. I have it labeled as "IBM Cap Colors" in my keyboard picture folder.
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That metallic gray is intriguing. I didn't see it on Unicomp's website.
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I don't think Unicomp has as many colors available anymore. Could open a support ticket with them to ask though.
(http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0055/8312/products/IBM_Model-M_color_Keyboard-A_grande.jpg)
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Those yellow ones look nice - just imagine a full set of them ;D
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That metallic gray is intriguing. I didn't see it on Unicomp's website.
I think it is just called gray, what they often sell in a black case.
The gray is a very "cool" gray to the point where it almost looks bluish.
Side-by-side with pebble (which is very "warm") the difference is dramatic.
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The printed name is always black?
I would like a red button with name printed in white.
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The printed name is always black?
I would like a red button with name printed in white.
Unicomp used to make keys pad printed in white but durability was an issue so they dropped them.
All the legends are dye-sublimated but they do have red, green, and blue legends available now on white, pearl, and pebble keys.
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I forgot about this thread. I decided to go with white keys with blank black modifiers with a blank red escape key.
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Fohat.digs Thanks again, I learn something in new every answer.
For poor durability, stopped producing legends blank? Did you mean that?
Not dominate the language, excuse me.
Touch_It Photo photo photo!!!
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I will post photos when I have them. Not ordered yet. Won't be till after Christmas :(
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For poor durability, stopped producing legends blank?
Blank keys do not have legends.
There are several ways to install legends on key caps. The most durable is "double shot" where the legend is extruded first in one color and the body of the key is molded behind it in another color.
Dye-sublimation means that dye is absorbed (sublimated) into the body of the plastic so that it is not just a film on the surface. These are also extremely durable.
Pad printing means that the ink or paint for the legend is applied to the surface only and will wear off sooner or later, depending on the quality and thickness of the paint as well as the body chemistry and cleanliness of the user.
Laser can be a light application that merely causes the surface to become discolored, or etching which is a process where the stronger laser is used to melt a canyon into the surface of the key cap, which may or may not then be infilled with contrasting color ink.
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Thank you very much Fohat.digs
Very instructive, completely unaware of all these processes.
We now better understand the complications of certain things that can make some colors as fragile as white. Also I imagine that prices will also go in line with the technology used.
You know more pages on European custom keys? (that are compatible with the IBM Model m)
I have Unicomp main candidate but to know if there are others.
Regards
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You know more pages on European custom keys? (that are compatible with the IBM Model m)
We all wish that there were more IBM-style key caps available, but, sadly, there are not.
On rare occasions you may see something like IBM Click-Clacks come on the market but they command very high prices.