Which key distance do you prefer?

[burli]

hi, the default distance between Cherry MX keys is 19.05mm. Cherry ML is 18mm.

Which distance do you prefer?

[bocahgundul]

What the hell mang? you have a really sensitive finger i would say

[burli]

What the hell mang? you have a really sensitive finger i would say

I have big hands. I have problems on a Cherry G84. My daughter likes the G84. So it's a legitimate question

[kurplop]

I've done a fair amount of experimenting on spacing and found that the ML horizontal spacing may be too tight for the largest hands but is workable for most (90%?) people. The biggest obstacle is familiarity. Many will think it is too close because it is non-standard, but I find it faster and more comfortable because of reduced hand movement. The vertical spacing can be even closer and has even less restrictions on hand size.

[tronbeaver]

95%.

Math majors rule.

[tp4tissue]

I don't think the key base is a deciding factor.  since it doesn't really affect how big the "top" surface can be..  Because you can even taper it outwards from the base if you like...

[kurplop]

95%.

Math majors rule.

Only if you include children.

I don't think the key base is a deciding factor.  since it doesn't really affect how big the "top" surface can be..  Because you can even taper it outwards from the base if you like...

It doesn't matter how big the keycap's footprint is but the spacing does affect the amount of reaching necessary and how cramped the fingers are in home position.

The size of the cap top is critical however. When I've made undersized keycaps in the past, I've had to be careful with the design to keep the top surface small enough to avoid hitting a neighboring key. I found that flatter laptop style cap profiles, while they work in that application, don't allow enough clearance for the mechanical switch's greater depth of travel.

[Findecanor]

I prefer the regular 3/4" horizontal spacing. I think that vertical spacing could be smaller without impacting the feel.

[Homenubbie]

I don't think the key base is a deciding factor.  since it doesn't really affect how big the "top" surface can be..  Because you can even taper it outwards from the base if you like...

Uh, no.

[jacobolus]

Personally I think the side-to-side distance between keys is okay, but the front-to-back distance is wider than necessary.

Especially if you use a column-staggered layout where the columns align with finger extension, it’s quite workable having ~17mm distance between keys, or maybe even less. It helps to have a clear step between keys, and relatively small keytops with more space in between them.