KTOD - How much effort do you put in planning keyboard color combinations?

[Lastpilot]

With all the anodization casing options and keycap sets out today, I often find myself struggling on choosing future color combinations with keyboards and keycaps. Whenever I see an interesting keyboard I automatically try to visualize what groupbuy set would look best with it. Sometimes this mental process can consume me for days. And there are also combinations that I would have never chosen that end up looking amazing like mistakemistakes's LZ-GH or danielucf's gon MX mini. Keyboard color combo's like these just redefine what I typically think of beautiful. And then in the midst of being tempted by these exotic color combinations I'm somehow always tempted by the "safe" choices like silver, black and titanium, just because I don't know what keysets in the future will look like, so it might be best to have something neutral.

So how much effort do you put in planning color combinations?

Because it can seriously drive me up a wall some days.

[CPTBadAss]

I generally pick from a color palette I know I'll like so it makes it easier to match later. So like if I buy a blue keycap set and some purple caps, I know those will go together. If I have a Valentine's set, those will play into it well....

But now that I think about it, I've put a lot of effort into some of my builds and I was forced to use what was available with other builds. For example, I'm kind of stuck with the caps I have on my Kingsaver. But I've customized my Zero pretty well. And I've put some thought into my eventual Leeku 1800 build.

I agree though, I spend *a lot* of time thinking up color schemes. Or wondering if I should just get a base neutral color like you said and then just swap in a bunch of fun caps.

[mashby]

I tend to get matchy match with my color choices, so they aren't that creative but I do think about it a lot.
   - Duck Poker (Red & White)
   - Hammer Poker (Grey)

Typically, I've planned out the key caps, switches, case and even the USB cable before I build up a new board. I wish I was more creative, but alas I seem to rely more on the creativity of the key cap designer. For example, my Retro set in a TEX low profile bronze case.

[microsoft windows]

I put in absolutely no effort. My keyboards all come pre-made with a color combination of gray and beige.

[rowdy]

Very little.  I tend to keep sets together (Rowdybeit was the exception).

If I can, I put an artisan or novelty keycap on Esc.

[Defect]

I was eating watermelon.

[Grim Fandango]

Not all that much to be honest. I just buy whatever I happen to like at the time and go from there. Sometimes I buy something because it complements something else I already have. But it is not something I really plan, more something I just happen to run into.

[samwisekoi]

I start with the board and try to visualize what will go with it to create a completed, coherent end result.

Sometimes I go the other way around and start with the keycaps and find a board to fit.

For example, for the Nuclear Data Green set, I really want to put them on an old-style beige keyboard, so I've been watching for a Filco beige ANSI 104.

But in answer to your question, a lot of time.  Much too much.

 - Ron | samwisekoi

[sakai4eva]

I put a lot of thought into this... and end up choosing a safe colour palate because I know I will get bored and change everything in a flash.

[Firebolt1914]

I spend too much effort, I'm trying to match my 40% keyboard with my GTK theme. It's not going so well ;-;

[Larken]

Not much effort, but I do plan to some extent. I envision an end result I want, do it and stick with one set of caps per keycap set, and never change it again; although I usually plan the case colors around specific keysets I like a lot.

However, I do it more as a preventive measure from wanting to get more keycaps. It works, since my ergodox doesn't look good with anything other than retro dsa. Haven't had an urge to join anymore gbs (this probably will change when I get the Axios)

[Oobly]

Not so much when buying keycaps, I just buy the sets I want to own.

Definitely when buying a plates, cables and cases, although I tend to stick to either white, silver or black to have the most compatibility.

I've never completely planned a keyboard's colours as a whole and stuck to that. Too many keycaps to try. Maybe when my GMK Dolch set arrives I will design a whole board around them.