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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ander on Wed, 20 January 2016, 21:12:18

Title: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: ander on Wed, 20 January 2016, 21:12:18

Hi guys,

I understand that dye-sublimation can't be used to print light legends on dark caps. So how did Lexmark provide caps like these (http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/9523/subcatid/0/id/116317)?:


(http://www.clickykeyboard.com/_ebay/5386657/5386657-001.jpg)


(http://www.clickykeyboard.com/_ebay/5386657/5386657-005.jpg)


(Thanks to ClickyKeyboards.com (http://www.clickykeyboards.com) for photos)

They'd have to be double-shot, wouldn't they? (They don't look pad-printed.) So they would've had to acquire them elsewhere, right? Or maybe an OEM bought these boards with standard caps and substituted some of their own?

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: chyros on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:24:19

I think it's probably pad printed, some manufacturers did this to pretty high standards. I'm pretty sure it's not doubleshot. You can also use lasering and infilling but I'd be surprised at that too.

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: Halverson on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:30:38

Quote from: chyros on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:24:19

I think it's probably pad printed, some manufacturers did this to pretty high standards. I'm pretty sure it's not doubleshot. You can also use lasering and infilling but I'd be surprised at that too.

Probably pad. Unicomp did white on blue pad print for the wildcats board.

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: fanpeople on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:33:24

There are also the white on black keycaps of the M-13 I think it is called which are pad printed.

I vote pad printed also

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: ander on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:35:28

All good points... You're probably right. They didn't seem pad-printed to me, as I'd expect to see more noticeable coating outlines around the text, esp. with the light shining on them like that. But they're not the clearest photos, either.

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: Halverson on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:44:08

Quote from: ander on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:35:28

All good points... You're probably right. They didn't seem pad-printed to me, as I'd expect to see more noticeable coating outlines around the text, esp. with the light shining on them like that. But they're not the clearest photos, either.

Honestly from what I've seen, pad print bs caps are pretty damn clean. Can't vouch for wear though.

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: chyros on Thu, 21 January 2016, 03:21:20

Quote from: ander on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:35:28

All good points... You're probably right. They didn't seem pad-printed to me, as I'd expect to see more noticeable coating outlines around the text, esp. with the light shining on them like that. But they're not the clearest photos, either.

No, quite the opposite, some pad printing is absolutely rimless and can look verysharp! :)

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: jamster on Thu, 21 January 2016, 03:30:04

They can't be doubleshot- Model Ms keys have the lettered part as a really thin 'cap' that goes over a big blank key (sorry, that's a crap description but the best I can think of). The cap is too thin to allow the usual structure that you find on the underneath of a normal doubleshot key cap.

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: SamirD on Thu, 21 January 2016, 09:59:02

Very interesting!  I bet we could solve the mystery if we could pop the caps off and check. ;)

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: Touch_It on Thu, 21 January 2016, 12:47:25

I'm guessing pad printing.  IBM M-13 had pad printed black keycaps.  Never heard of any IBM keys being doubleshot.

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: Melvang on Thu, 21 January 2016, 12:59:14

Quote from: Touch_It on Thu, 21 January 2016, 12:47:25

I'm guessing pad printing.  IBM M-13 had pad printed black keycaps.  Never heard of any IBM keys being doubleshot.

No IBM caps are double shot.  All light on dark caps are pad printed.  It is a fairly high quality version of it.  All IBM caps are PBT, and as far as I know, it has never been double shot with PBT legends.  All the double shot PBT caps I have seen use POM for the legend.

Title: Re: Light-on-dark caps on Model M?
Post by: SamirD on Thu, 21 January 2016, 14:03:53

I want a t-shirt that has that "F11 Person" keycap on it.  That's just awesome to me.