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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: TheNamesTy45 on Wed, 15 February 2017, 21:58:43

Title: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: TheNamesTy45 on Wed, 15 February 2017, 21:58:43
Hi All,

I'm going to start designing some keycaps just for fun, and I wanted a place to post them. I don't have the intention to run a group buy with any of the designs yet; however, if anything I design in here gets a lot of attention, I could move it to an interest check, and if what I design never gets much interest... Oh well! I just want to contribute something fun to the community.

I'll be posting designs in here as I make them, I just wanted to share them with community in the off chance other people enjoy what I make just so that it's not stored for my eyes only. The designs will be limited to colorway and font unless more interest is generated, then I'll look into renders, profile, etc. Hope I can inspire someone a little more creative than me to make something great!

Mods, if this isn't the place for me to have this thread, please let me know, and I'll do whatever you need me to do!

So.... without further ado.

Design 1: Papyrus

Inspiration: Edwin Smith Medical Papyrus

Font Used: Eagle Lake - A font created by Astigmatic - Font hosted - https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Eagle+Lake?selection.family=Eagle+Lake (https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Eagle+Lake?selection.family=Eagle+Lake)

(http://i.imgur.com/zIzMdJ1.png)
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: Sneaky Potato on Wed, 15 February 2017, 22:13:59
I feel like people generally don't like the Papyrus font, and view it similar to Comic Sans. However, I do see where it fits in with the overall design.

I'm excited to see what else you come up with! Nice to see some new stuff!
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: TheNamesTy45 on Wed, 15 February 2017, 23:09:54
Quote from: Sneaky Potato on Wed, 15 February 2017, 22:13:59
I feel like people generally don't like the Papyrus font, and view it similar to Comic Sans. However, I do see where it fits in with the overall design.

I'm excited to see what else you come up with! Nice to see some new stuff!

Agree with you. It looked a little thin for sure. Gave it an update

Design 1 (Rev 1):: Papyrus Revision 1

Change from original: Changed font to Roboto - A font created by Christian Robertson - Font Hosted - https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto?selection.family=Roboto (https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto?selection.family=Roboto)

(http://i.imgur.com/BXTvwG9.png)


Also...

Design 2: Atlantis

Inspiration: I was always a huge fan of Stargate Atlantis, and felt it got a bad wrap because it had an incredibly difficult act to follow in Stargate SG-1.

The alphas are modeled off the iconic Stargate seen in the intro and other promotional material. The keycap color is the color of the stone that makes the circle of the gate while the legend color is the cyanish color seen in the symbols and lights around the gate

The modifiers are inspired by the the big baddies of the show, the wraith. The blackish color is for the wraith ships, while the whitish legend represents the white hair color often seen on the wraith. I actually used a hex color off a color sample of one of the wraith's hair.

Font Used: Orbitron - A font created by Matt McInerney - Font hosted - https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Orbitron?selection.family=Orbitron

(http://i.imgur.com/0mXtzfW.png)

I'm a little iffy on the font here, and would probably lean towards more of the font used on GMK keycaps.
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: TheNamesTy45 on Thu, 16 February 2017, 16:08:17
Okay this one is a bit off the walls, but I was wearing my favorite socks today, and I thought... Hmmm, why not?!

Design 3: Cotton Candy Camo.

Inspiration: My favorite pair of socks... These things are over the top ridiculous, but the colors are all pleasing and subtle, they're just arranged in a way that is extremely hectic to the eye. So, I sought to achieve the same with this design. I personally haven't seen anything like it, and there's probably a VERY good reason for it, but I will share it nonetheless.


Inpiration for reference:

(http://i.imgur.com/pmQXiXs.jpg)


(http://i.imgur.com/2z1iDHp.png)

Hope someone enjoys this wacky set.
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: romevi on Thu, 16 February 2017, 16:11:12
You do keycap sets now?!

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/4f/e0/274fe05813a2fde2b3acf9bc5d877ac6.jpg)
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: TheNamesTy45 on Thu, 16 February 2017, 16:12:36
Quote from: romevi on Thu, 16 February 2017, 16:11:12
You do keycap sets now?!

Show Image
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/4f/e0/274fe05813a2fde2b3acf9bc5d877ac6.jpg)


Haha, as a kid, I always thought each beanie baby I wanted literally had my name all over it.
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: zslane on Thu, 16 February 2017, 16:34:32
Light-colored legends on dark-colored keycaps will invariably require the two-shot process, which is quite expensive if you are trying to introduce an entirely new typeface (SP charges approx $75 per legend, for example).
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: TheNamesTy45 on Thu, 16 February 2017, 16:41:12
Quote from: zslane on Thu, 16 February 2017, 16:34:32
Light-colored legends on dark-colored keycaps will invariably require the two-shot process, which is quite expensive if you are trying to introduce an entirely new typeface (SP charges approx $75 per legend, for example).

Thank you for the info! None of the designs require the custom font so far. Just decided to add it for fun as I don't know if anyone would want the designs I'm making. If any of the designs start to garner attention that would warrant an IC, I'd definitely start taking the practicality of the designs into account.

Also, if anyone sees something that has potential, but isn't quite "there", feel free to let me know. Open to suggestions. Made this thread as a way to share some of the thoughts in my head with everyone.
Title: Re: Custom Keycap Designs from Ty
Post by: TheNamesTy45 on Sat, 11 March 2017, 21:11:30
Designed this set after really enjoying the design and colors of a stock Ubuntu installation. Giving two takes on this. Each of these takes has the accurate colors for Ubuntu and what was available from the GMK color swatch on keyboard layout editor. I enjoy the way they both look, but really prefer the deeper colors from the more accurate Ubuntu colors.

(http://i.imgur.com/7e1pw8b.png)
Ubuntu's colors.

(http://i.imgur.com/NFSH4KN.png)
Keyboard Layout Editor GMK Color swatch colors.



(http://i.imgur.com/Pw4rAju.png)
Ubuntu's colors.

(http://i.imgur.com/slOeTWe.png)
Keyboard Layout Editor GMK Color swatch colors.