Keycaps for specific software

[dizzyone]

Hello,

For the past half year I've been doing "research" on mechanical keyboards, reading everything I possibly can on the internet about them, and a few weeks ago I finally decided to actually order a filco keyboard with brown switches from elitekeyboards.

So onto my real question, I've been looking into buying seperate keycaps, for programs like Final Cut Pro and Autodesk Maya. The only company that actually sells these is logickeyboards, and the keys only fit onto apple pro keyboards or their crappy own logic keyboards (which cost as much as the filco I ordered, but are amazingly bad).

With the help from this forum I found a link to a manufacturer that advertises the ability to make your own custom keycaps etc, and also the Xkeys manufacturer that allow you to buy blank keys that I could possibly use for my purpose by printing out the symbols I'd like and stick them on the keys.

What I'm really interested in is, has anyone ever gone through this road? Trying to find a set of keycaps for a specific programs, and is it actually feasible as an individual to order such a set directly from the manufacturer?

I hope I'm a bit clear with my question, I'm just a bit dumbfounded by the fact that there is absolutely no market for this, other than overpriced rubber dome keyboards from logickeyboard.

[ch_123]

Unicomp do customized printed keycaps for buckling spring keyboards.

[Superfluous Parentheses]

If I were you I'd go for "relegendable" key caps. That way you can just stick a paper legend under the key cap and you're done.

See for example: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=9512

But note that it depends on your board whether you can just substitute those caps on the main cluster (some/most? cherry boards have different height key caps on different rows, and the relegendable caps are probably all the same height).

On Unicomp / Model M style boards, all key caps are the same height, and you can also get relegendable caps for them.

Example of cherry boards:

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/POS/8113/index.htm
http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/POS/SPOS_Rows_Columns/index.htm

Fentek sells clear key caps for Model M (which is what you want for those boards, since you can then put the legends between the stem/lower keycap and the top keycap:
http://www.fentek-ind.com/keys.htm

[washuai]

http://www.keycapsdirect.com/  is basically signature plastics.  It is more feasible for a company ordering several sets of keys for many workers, than it is for an individual, though.  Your own custom keys can easily cost you more than your keyboard did.
I'd say relegendables are the way to go for now.  Or stickers/paint/etc. blanks/current keys.  Add your own will wear off far less, if you put your custom stuff on the side, rather than top of the key.

[TheSoulhunter]

I use keypads with relegendable caps...

[dizzyone]

Thanks for the responses.

Those black keys look lovely SoulHunter, low profile and you did a great job on the prints. Are those keycaps (without the prints obviously) compatible with Cherry mx switches?

I had my worries about the quality of the relegendable keys, but as there seems no other real option, I'll try ordering a small batch from here: http://www.xkeys.com/accessories/keycaps.php and see how the height fits with the rest of the keyboard.

Has anyone had any experience with the keycaps from xkeys?

[TheSoulhunter]

Thanks for the responses.

Those black keys look lovely SoulHunter, low profile and you did a great job on the prints. Are those keycaps (without the prints obviously) compatible with Cherry mx switches?

The ones in the picture are for ML switches, but I got MX ones as well, have a look here...