[IC] KAT PBJ - (11/23/21) UPDATE: Samples ARRIVED!

[Lizcuits]

KAT PBJ

A fully modular, lighthearted keyset that will pull you back to your childhood!

Interest Check Form

Welcome to KAT PBJ, my passion project for the last few months! I was inspired to create my own keycap set that was as authentic to my own self as possible, and I strongly believe in never taking life too seriously. Embracing your inner child and finding the fun things in life doesn't ever have to go away, so I wanted to create something that reminded people of their childhoods and give cozy after-school snack vibes. Nothing evokes that feeling like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut in triangles, a cold glass of milk, and your favorite cartoon playing in the background.

Thus... KAT PBJ was born!

Visit katPBJ.com for renders, kits, configurator, FAQ, and more!

Join the Discord server for updates and more information!

Please fill out the Interest Check Form if you are interested!

KAT PBJ is also designed to be available and accessible to people from all over the world with all sorts of tastes.

The kits have been designed to be as modular as possible offering 4 "Jelly" accent colors and several language kits as well as compatibility options.

Try using the Configurator on the KAT PBJ website to test out any combination you like!

Please fill out the Interest Check Form if you are interested!

Renders

Polygon65 by Rotwitt

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Iron165 by Smith and Rune

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Lodestone by Prototypist

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Geist by GEISTMASCHINE

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(All renders on GEIST were done by GEISTMASCHINE himself - check out his board here!

SouthPup by halo

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Charlotte by KraizesGB

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Fuji65 by CMM.Studio

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J-01 by Prototypist

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M60-A by RAMA Works

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Deskmats

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Kits

Alphas

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Latin

Hiragana

Katakana

Hangul

Zhuyin

Cyrillic

Blanks

Modifiers

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60s Text Mods

60s Icon Mods

60s Icon Mod Blanks

40s/Ortho Text Mods

40s/Ortho Icon Mods

40s/Ortho Blanks

Ergo

Extras

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Novelties

Accents

Numpad

Spacebars

Compatibility

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UKISO

North

French

South

Colevrak

Vendors

North America: CannonKeys

Canada: ApexKeyboards

Europe: MyKeyboard.eu

Asia: zFrontier

Southeast Asia: Monokei

Oceania: Daily Clack

Pricing

TBD

Collabs & Extras

Artisans

PBJ Nekomata by Shirouu

Preview:

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PBJ Bean by DEΔGcaps

(Colorway preview will be teased later on)

Preview:

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& more to come!

Cases

PBJ Design02 by ArcTangent Keyboards

This board will be available in multiple colorways to match your choice of accents for PBJ!

Preview Render:

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Cables

Coiled cables by LuxeCables

Prototype Cable (Grape):

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Preview Render:

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Foams

Purple Case & Plate foams for Design02 + Purple KAT Spacebar foams by Stupidfish01

Foams will be available in Purple and be made custom for the Design02 case! Photo will be updated when prototype is available.

Preview Image:

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Custom Switches

Preview Render:

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TBD

Stickers (and maybe pins?)

PBJ Logo Stickers + Novelty Stickers

Preview:

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FAQ

When is the Group Buy?

The Group Buy date is currently undetermined. This page will be updated as soon as it's decided!

Pricing information?

Pricing is currently undetermined, I am still waiting to hear from Keyreative before I can get quotes!

Do I have to buy the Jelly Accents with the base kits?

Nope! You are fully welcome to order your sandwich without Jelly if you prefer.

Will you add [kit]?

Maybe! Let me know what you think should be changed or added in the interest check form!

What colors does this set use?

The colors for this set are still being finalized, but these are the colors I have selected currently, using Pantone colors:

Swatches for those who prefer images:

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Bread (Alphas): 9224 C

Peanut Butter (Alpha legends + Mods): 3596 U

Crust (Mod Legends): 2317 C

Grape (Accent): 2635 C

Strawberry (Accent): 4069 C

Blackberry (Accent): 2755 U

Honey (Accent): 1345 U

SAMPLES:

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How can I contact you?

Discord is probably the best place to get in touch with me ASAP, but feel free to contact me through any means! You can find all of my social media for this set here. I check all of them regularly!

For business contact, feel free to message me on Discord at Liz#1313 or email me at LizcuitsDesign@gmail.com!

This looks kinda similar to IFK Marshmallow and GMK Bread?

I have spoken with the creators of both sets (PRJKT_ and GergWorst) and they are both amazing people who both have helped me in designing my set when they had absolutely no obligation to do so.

Please check out their work as they are both creating awesome stuff!

Roadmap

- Find more collabs (?)

- Look into custom switches

- Secure Vendors

- Get samples

- Get Group Buy Date

To-Do

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- Create Cyrillic Alphas kit due to popular demand

- Look into darker color for Alphas legends for better contrast

- Adjust Numpad kit for better 1800 support

- Relocate Alice "B"s to respective Alphas kits

- Add blanks kits

- Refine 40s/Ortho bars

- Expand Colevrak Kit

- Make Ergo kit less vague

- Fix questionable kitting errors in 60s/TKL mods

- Add QAZ support to 40s/ortho

Updates/Changelog

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10/16/20: Posted Interest Check!

10/18/20: Announced LuxeCables collab

10/18/20: Added Cyrillic Alphas kit, Adjusted font on Hiragana & Katakana kits

10/24/20: Moved Alice "B"s to Alphas kits instead of Spacebars, Added Blanks to Alphas, 60s mods, and 40s/Ortho mods, Fixed Icon mods to correct legends

10/24/20: Announced Vendors and new collabs!

11/29/20: Added new switch renders, cable prototype photos, updated website

9/9/21: Received first photo of samples!

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Credits

Special Thanks

Minterly (and everyone in her server) - for inspiring me to start on my own keycap set!

Eura - for helping me with color matching and designing PBJ’s absolutely adorable novelties

Cardinal - for teaching me everything nobody told me I needed to know (literally)

PenguinDroppings - for being my internet mom and giving me the best advice for everything

Glendel - for listening to me rave about my set and spamming you with pictures 20 times a day for a month straight (and being super supportive the whole time)

ImperfectLink - for giving me noob advice and tech support

Konstantin - for being a super friendly kit wizard

Extra Special Thanks

Zuiia - for developing the website and providing moral support and company through practically every second of designing this keycap set

Tina - for being my mental health coach even though I never listened

Last but not least...

everyone who ever gave me feedback, advice, support, guidance, or ideas, you rock

Please fill out the Interest Check Form if you are interested!

If you'd like to support this set, please add this code to your profile signature!

Code: [Select]

[url=https://www.katpbj.com/][img width=350 height=120]https://tinyurl.com/KATPBJBanner[/img][/url]

[dandruff]

This set is cute! I'm a huge fan of the honey, GLWIC!

[purryoverlord]

This looks great! :3

[hali]

iloveitiloveitiloveit

[Nathan_]

Finally my breakfast made into a set

[atlanticise]

YAAAAAAS GIRLLLLLL SLAY

[andromache]

I love everything about this. Will be copping grape and strawberry for sure!!! Plus a deskmat. And cable. And those switches omg I hope they become real!!

Anyway, I'm obsessed with these keycaps. Can't wait to buy. Good luck!

[PRJKT_]

Finally, it's in IC!! As I said everytime I see this, I want to make myself a PB&J sandwhich 

[CardinalityTV]

Perfect example of a great concept executed superbly.

[SenseiJia]

This is so cute!

[wackobear0118]

Love it! looks great!

[halocantkb]

CUTE

Sent from my ELE-L04 using Tapatalk

[guill3m]

So good to finally see it out. Great set. Good luck with the IC!

[keebnewb]

I really like those swirly spacebars!

[eskimojo]

Cute set! I love the lowercase legends.

I'm not keen on the accent kits being blank, but the novelties are so cool Exciting to see someone taking advantage of dye sub to use so many colours.

I've said this in an IC form response but thought I'd post here too:

• Numpad kit would be better with proper 1800 support rather than R5 blanks - see KAT Lich for example (3 more keys than current, and would provide correct colouring)
• Any chance of an additional R3 up arrow? It's far from required, but it's something I personally added for my set as it adds comfort, and it's appeared in some sets since (Drifter, Space Cadet, Arctic, Hyperfuse, Iron, Monochrome).

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one, GLWIC!

[Penguindropings]

Very proud kiddo.  Will def cop for GB.

[Rotwitt]

This looks great Liz! Really well organized and put together GB! Will be following for sure!

[Cubic // esc lab]

Liz Liz Liz Liz Liz.

[Buburoo]

Great IC, Great set. GL Liz 

[olidavhay]

I am bizarrely interested in this. Also, the fact that you added a configurator and the "pros" can't even do that is bonkers and it's insanely adorable. I hope everything goes well. <3

[totalemon]

this is such a well organised ic, and I love the honey accent. not usually a fan of KAT sets, but I might get this. I'd definitely like to see a blank mods kit, might complement the soft colours and shapes of the set better than text/icon mods, and maybe some additional novelties with a simpler outline/less colours, but otherwise this is perfect. glwgb!

[z19z]

yaaas Liz, will absolutely cop dem purple accents at gb

[HungHingDaiLo]

Liz pogchamp
wwwwww

[beamingrobot]

Yes

[Lizcuits]

Huge thanks to everyone who has left kind comments and support!

Initial response from the IC form has been great, but there have been a few concerns and suggestions that I'd like to address. Here is a short summary:

Add Cyrillic Alphas

Due to popular demand, I will be adding a Cyrillic Alphas kit. This will take some time, but I will hopefully have it done by the next major update!

The legends need more contrast / are too light

In part, this was an intentional design decision, however I didn't consider that it might be a genuine problem for legibility for some users. I am going to be looking into a new Alphas Legend color that is a bit darker to improve clarity and contrast, while still retaining a soft/pastel feel. This will require entirely new renders and will likely take a little while to decide on and update. I will also be updating the base alphas color (in the renders, not the pantone) to better match the color they will be on the actual keys when I do this.
I wanted to wait until I received samples to make any drastic changes to the overall set, but it's been pretty clear from the responses so far that this is something a lot of folks aren't a fan of. I'd appreciate any more opinions on this, and I will also be posting a poll in the PBJ Discord server soon to get a clearer idea of the general consensus!

Numpad kit would be better with proper 1800 support rather than R5 blanks - see KAT Lich for example (3 more keys than current, and would provide correct colouring)
Any chance of an additional R3 up arrow? It's far from required, but it's something I personally added for my set as it adds comfort, and it's appeared in some sets since (Drifter, Space Cadet, Arctic, Hyperfuse, Iron, Monochrome).

I will definitely be updating the Numpad kit for better 1800 support, this was largely an oversight on my part! This should also be done by the next major update.
Adding a R3 up arrow should also be doable, and will be updated alongside the Numpad!


The overall response from Day 1 of the Interest check has been overwhelmingly positive and I am extremely glad that PBJ is something people are excited about. Thank you all for your feedback so far!

More updates to come!

[Zaum.Tech]

A beautifully desinged set.

[Lizcuits]

Small update!

Regarding updating the Alphas legend color:
After a poll in the PBJ Discord server, an overwhelming majority voted against the change to darker legends. If this consensus changes in the future I will definitely consider changing them, but for the time being, it seems like most folks prefer the current color and pastel tone.


Cyrillic Alphas have been added!
I struggled to find a font that matched the latin font, but I think I landed on a fitting one! Let me know what you think, as well as if there are any issues I may not be aware of with the kit itself.


Hiragana & Katakana Alphas have received a font update!
While creating the Cyrillic kit I realized the fonts for the Hiragana and Katakana kits did not match the latin font at all. They have been changed to a font I really like that keeps the smooth round look. Again, please let me know what you think!


In other news, I am pleased to announce that KAT PBJ will be collaborating with LuxeCables to bring custom coiled cables for each accent kit!
I made a quick render here to preview what the cables may/will look like - Will update with proper examples from LuxeCables when they are available!


Once again, thank you all so much for the support and feedback! I will be updating the Numpad kit next as well as making minor changes across various items as per suggestions in the IC form.

See you soon with the next update!

[Angelsin]

I enjoy your peanut butter and jelly sandwich on my keyboard, looking forward to it

[Beita]

I can't wait! Thank you, Lizcuits! 

[SaltyStrauberri]

I think this is it chief, Grape accent colors is the way to go for me!

[Zytjok]

Give me the purple derple.

[CardinalityTV]

The cables are a really nice addition, they fit so well

[dvorcol]

Nice-looking set!  It's a great idea to have four different accent color options.

Regarding the Colevrak kit, I think there's a small mistake in Row 3:  "J" is in twice and "C" is missing.

In addition, please consider expanding the kit to support additional layouts:



For details, this post has a table of which layout(s) use each keycap, as well as a picture of each layout.

[Lizcuits]

Nice-looking set!  It's a great idea to have four different accent color options.

Regarding the Colevrak kit, I think there's a small mistake in Row 3:  "J" is in twice and "C" is missing.

In addition, please consider expanding the kit to support additional layouts:

Thanks for catching that! I have no idea how that slipped past me, I'll fix that ASAP!

As for expanding into Colevrak+, I'll definitely take a look at adding in the additional keys. I didn't realize there was a version with even more compatibility, so I'll definitely check it out!

[niakulah]

As long as you have an SEA proxy, I'd be interested in a Blackberry accent kit. I think it'd go well with Atlantis.

[..//dexx]

The only problem I have with this is I want all the accents.

[Lizcuits]

As long as you have an SEA proxy, I'd be interested in a Blackberry accent kit. I think it'd go well with Atlantis.

There will be an SEA proxy! Current plans are to have a proxy for NA, CA, EU, AS, SEA, and OCE. Still working things out before official announcements.

[Lizcuits]

Big update today!
First and foremost, I am very excited to announce PBJ's vendors!
(Updated to announce Canadian vendor!)

NA: CannonKeys
EU: MyKeyboard.EU
AS: zFrontier
SEA: Monokei
OCE: Daily Clack
CAN: ApexKeyboards

Secondly, there have been several kit updates!

ICYMI: Cyrillic Alphas have been added, Hiragana & Katakana kits updated font in previous update!


- Blank kits are now available! Let me know what you think of these!


- Numpad kit has been overhauled, now supporting full 1800 boards, corrected colors, added non-homing 5, icon & text mods included, and a secondary blanks kit.


- Icon Mods have been fixed to use the correct adjusted KAT Icons!
This affected the Alt, FN, Menu, Scroll Lock, and Delete icons. Previous version used outdated icons, and all are now up to date!

- Colevrak kitting error has been fixed
Just a mislabeled key. This has been fixed and is now correct.

Thirdly, I'm happy to announce another collab with a very talented artist!

DEΔGcaps Bean
DEΔGcaps will be collaborating with KAT PBJ to create a PBJ themed Bean!
Below are examples of the sculpt. PBJ colorway will be teased later!




There are still updates in the works, I am looking into expanding the Colevrak kit and revisiting the spacebars offered in the 40s/Ortho kits.

The Interest check has been updated to include the new kit options. Feel free to Edit your previous form if you would like to choose the new options!
>>> Updated Interest Check Form <<<

[atlanticise]

I never thought I'd be interested in blanks, but KAT PBJ just hits different in every way and I'm digging it so hard. 

[smshark]

I included this in IC but I think it'd be interesting to see a full peanut-butter alpha set - have you rendered that at all to see if it works alright visually?

[Lizcuits]

I included this in IC but I think it'd be interesting to see a full peanut-butter alpha set - have you rendered that at all to see if it works alright visually?

Here you go:

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I'm personally not a huge fan, but if others like it it couldn't hurt. All feedback welcome!

I am also most likely going to be offering the Wedges deskmat design in all 4 accent colors (as seen in these preview renders) - will update as soon as I can confirm it can happen!

[GreatKingNorann]

I included this in IC but I think it'd be interesting to see a full peanut-butter alpha set - have you rendered that at all to see if it works alright visually?

Here you go:

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Show Image

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I'm personally not a huge fan, but if others like it it couldn't hurt. All feedback welcome!

I am also most likely going to be offering the Wedges deskmat design in all 4 accent colors (as seen in these preview renders) - will update as soon as I can confirm it can happen!

This set is amazing! You’re a legend!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[smshark]

Thanks for the renders! Now that I’m seeing the full brown, I think I prefer the normal alphas as well. I’d probably consider both but the beige/brown combo looks so good 

[Lizcuits]

Small update!

KAT PBJ will be offering the Wedges deskmat design in each Accent color!
Now you'll be able to match up to the accent kits you prefer!

[SwitchKeys]

Oooft those deskmats are fire!!

[CardinalityTV]

Ne PBJ avail

[Lizcuits]

Hey all! Small update (copied from the discord announcement today):

Depending on what quotes I get from Keyreative, I am considering making full recolor novelty kits (instead of minor novelties as part of the accent kits).
This was a pretty common concern/point of confusion in the IC form responses and one of my main goals for this set was for it to be easy to digest (ha) and not overwhelming to choose your kits like some KAT sets in the past have been.
Splitting the novelties and accents into 4 kits each will increase the number of kits, but offer better flexibility and fuller options for you guys.

If I do go this route, it will require some of the novelties to be adjusted (for example, changing the jelly jar to have a strawberry/blackberry/etc,  instead of a grape for their respective colors) so it may take some time.

I will not be going forward with this until I hear back from Keyreative regarding the novelty production process though, so that no time or effort goes to waste if something needs fundamentally changed for production.

Thanks for your patience! I hope to have information for you guys on quotes or at least some update from Keyreative soon enough.

[Jaxxstatic]

yes

[Lizcuits]

Hey all! Sorry for the lack of progress so far on this!

I am currently in my final month of University and will be graduating just before Christmas, so I haven't had a ton of free time to work on things. I am also still waiting to hear back from Keyreative regarding samples and dye sub capabilities for the novelties, so I haven't been able to do much. Once I finish school I will be working on fixing up the kits (expanding Colevrak, making Ergo better and not just all blanks, etc) and redoing many, if not all of the renders.

I've been working hard to get better at rendering (all of the current renders were done by me and will continue to be done by me) and I'm not super happy with most of them anymore, so I hope to have renders I'm more happy with soon! In the meantime, please accept these cute switch renders as an apology:



However, I do need help deciding which switch is which! Fill out the strawpoll to tell me which should be tactile and which should be linear!
Strawpoll Link

I also have the first prototype cables from LuxeCables, and it's looking great! These will be offered in all 4 accent colors, and we will be doing an engraving on the connector. Let me know what you'd like to have engraved on it, and if you have any other feedback.
LuxeCables has also agreed to offer both straight and coiled cables for you guys, so everyone can get the exact cable they like!

[jessdotjpeg]

I absolutely love this set! Count me in on a Latin alpha kit, text mods, as well as Strawberry or Grape accents and matching cable.

Looks like only 4 people (me included) have responded to the switch poll! I voted brown housing for tactile, because crunchy peanut butter would have a "bump" if it were a switch.

Would be awesome to see a Rama keycap for this set! Maybe with a bread, peanut, or knife logo?