[IC]PAPER 65%-Reinvention, Reborn(Coming Soon)

[Ckeeb]

Hi Friends,

After Paper80, we are glad to team with WHATEVER. Studio is bringing you their latest design, Paper65, which was just delivered in China before CNY. With many friends asking, we finally have the chance to share with our international community.

From the Designer:

PAPER 65% marks the return of WHATEVER.Studio to the 65% form factor after three years. Now four years into the custom keyboard scene, our understanding of product design has evolved significantly. With PAPER 65%, every detail has been reimagined through the lens of the "Paperplane" concept — iterating and reconstructing what came before.

The Challenge of 65%

Due to the narrower width of a 65% layout compared to 80%, even with the same 7.5° typing angle, the rear-floating design that worked so well on the PAPER 80 simply didn't translate — both visually and structurally.

The same approach to weight placement resulted in reduced ground clearance, diminishing the floating effect.

💡 Rethinking the Design Language

We had extensive internal discussions about how to approach the design.

With keyboards, the top surface is mostly occupied by the typing interface — leaving little room for visual expression beyond the bottom case.
For a 65% board, relying solely on bottom design often leads to a generic, "mold-like" appearance — something we wanted to avoid at all costs.
Our goal: to create a product with a strong identity.

One where, even with the logo hidden, the silhouette alone tells you who made it.

That led us to extend the cut lines from the bottom case to the side surfaces, preserving the signature floating aesthetic of the PAPER series.
We also embedded ambient lighting into the triangular facets of the bottom case — when lit, light spills onto the desk, creating harmony between keyboard and surface.

The Paperplane Badge

On the front bevel, the iconic Paperplane badge returns — made from translucent acrylic with resin fill, just like the PAPER 80. But it’s not just decorative: it doubles as a Caps Lock indicator, seamlessly integrated into the RGB lighting. A small window on the top case lets you check the status without lifting the board.

Front Face Details

Above the main key cluster, the front face of the PAPER 65% consists of seven distinct elements:
1. Strip indicator light (top-left corner)
2. Anodized aluminum decorative bar
3. Acrylic & mirror-polished stainless steel inlay with lighting
4. Screen bracket & 1U LCD display

Screen specs:
1. 128×128 resolution
2. Keypress value display
3. GIF / static image support
4. Real-time connection status

Exploded View & Typing Angle

Structure

The PAPER 65% supports two mounting styles: Bottom Mount and Gasket Mount.
We developed a new bushing-style Bottom Mount system, featuring precision-engineered acrylic bushings. 
Think of them like hard rubber chassis reinforcements in performance cars — they preserve rigidity while isolating micro-vibrations from the plate, resulting in cleaner, purer acoustics compared to traditional top-mount designs.

For Gasket Mount enthusiasts, we offer 25 Shore A silicone gasket beans, delivering a soft, bouncy typing feel while maintaining just the right amount of support.

📐 Specifications
1. Layout 65%
2. Surface finish   205 zirconium sandblasted anodizing / Electrostatic coating
3. Material: Aluminum alloy / 316 stainless steel (standard weight)
4. Structure: Gasket Mount / Bottom Mount
5. Typing angle:7.5°
6. Front height:18.9mm
7. Layout support: Hot-swappable, stepped Caps Lock compatible
8. PCB: Wired PCB or Tri-mode (optional), both with per-key RGB
9. Plate options: FR4 (optional), PC (optional), Aluminum (optional)

Rogue Violet

Titan Silver

Imperial Copper

Prism Black

Frost White

Cloud Blue

Soft Blush-Stay tuned

Regarding this IC,

Since the design has already been finalized in China, we regret to inform you that we are unable to accept suggestions for changes to the appearance. However, with the author's consent, we have prepared a blind box color option for everyone. At the same time, we still look forward to hearing your preferences—such as what colors you like, what default plate material you would like us to match, and what your expectations are for the blind box color.

👉IC form link-Share your feedback with us!

Estimated Group Buy Date: March 31

For Colors: Click the link for a closer look at the color options！

Vendor: TBD

Join our Discord to join the conversation.

Best,

The Wuque Studio Team