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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: Snowdog993 on Fri, 19 December 2014, 17:34:04

Title: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: Snowdog993 on Fri, 19 December 2014, 17:34:04: I saw this guy on the web that makes Selectric fonts for the IBM model M keyboards. Has anyone suggested to Unicomp to do something like that? I believe it is the old RAND style font, but I am not sure.
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: jacobolus on Fri, 19 December 2014, 17:38:23: Go ahead and suggest stuff to Unicomp, but don’t get your hopes up that they’d do it.

Here’s their big innovation of the last couple years:
(http://pckeyboard.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/largeprint1000x1000.jpg)
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: Snowdog993 on Fri, 19 December 2014, 21:03:52: I have known about the large font/brilliant white Unicomp ultra classic. My son may get one of them in the future. (Maybe with Pearl/Pebble keys) That isn't Selectric at all. It's okay, but maybe a picture of a real Selectric will help....
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: audioave10 on Sat, 20 December 2014, 11:21:18: That Selectric is beautiful! :eek:
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: Snowdog993 on Mon, 22 December 2014, 10:28:24: Another thought that crossed my mind is why can't they produce a keycap like on the Selectric? They are engraved letters. Can't anyone make such a thing? The molds for the keycaps would have the letters "sunk-in" every cap. What does this mean? It just means that you can have keycaps that have no color whatsoever, but you can still see what each cap represents. Be it any color of the rainbow, it makes no difference.
However, you can always fill the gaps with any color (contrasting or not) you prefer.
Just like on the Selectric Blue.
Maybe old is new again?
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: jdcarpe on Mon, 22 December 2014, 11:55:08: Quote from: Snowdog993 on Mon, 22 December 2014, 10:28:24
Another thought that crossed my mind is why can't they produce a keycap like on the Selectric? They are engraved letters. Can't anyone make such a thing? The molds for the keycaps would have the letters "sunk-in" every cap. What does this mean? It just means that you can have keycaps that have no color whatsoever, but you can still see what each cap represents. Be it any color of the rainbow, it makes no difference.
However, you can always fill the gaps with any color (contrasting or not) you prefer.
Just like on the Selectric Blue.
Maybe old is new again?

Not for buckling spring, but you CAN have those for MX...

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Round4_SPH
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: Snowdog993 on Mon, 22 December 2014, 12:02:17: Why not? Can anyone make them? Can they be 3-D printed? I don't understand!
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 22 December 2014, 12:41:41: Unicomp seems to be pretty close to their customer base. I'm sure if we got enough people to commit they would be able to do this
Title: Re: I have a question that people might know the answer to...
Post by: Snowdog993 on Mon, 22 December 2014, 13:37:38: I am sure that Unicomp could do this. I can't see any reason why they shouldn't. Just make the fonts like on the Selectric, ya think?