Stickers - Pride or Shame?

[SOROBORU88]

Hello all, how you doin'? Recently, I started to work at a place, where typing all day isn't a rare task. Point being, I would like to buy a mechanical keyboard for my office setup. Problem is, in the Czech Republic, you really need czech keycaps (keycaps with special czech letters and symbols). I already have one mech keyboard withczech keycaps, but getting them was bought with a lot of pain (and with even greater pile of money - don't know which pile I regret more). I don't want to go through this again and I don't want to argue with qwerkeys or wasdkeyboards for making me my own set of keycaps.

Therefore, stickers.

My questions aims on the other typists, than those from English speaking countries. Do you use stickers on your keyboard? Is it so shameful as I fear it will be?

Thank you all again and enjoy your boards

P.S. Pictues welcomed.

[Zeal]

At first I thought you were talking about switch stickers...

Instead of sticking stickers on keycaps, why not try relengendable keycaps? Just insert a small piece of printed paper and there you have it!

Something like this:

[Willy]

Could always just learn to touch-type.

[mapple]

only to answer ur question not it's not a shame won't go to pride. But pride is having mech keyboard itself so yeah:D anyways, buy normal europe iso-layout - they are cheap and put those stickers FFS just get new mech!!

[Tony]

Why such mechanical things without a soul like a sticker can make you feel shame? Your soul need to be less dependent on what other think about you.

[davkol]

Problem is, in the Czech Republic, you really need czech keycaps (keycaps with special czech letters and symbols).

Do you? I mean, I'm typing this on my ergodox with blank DSAs... in Olomouc. Last time I checked, Olomouc was in Czechia.

Stickers look ugly and feel awful. Unfortunately, so do relegendables. YMMV

[spiceBar]

I use stickers because I'm french and use the AZERTY layout, but I have ANSI keyboards for the convenience of having so much choice and being able to find keycaps sets easily. Also, I love the large left Shift.

So most of my keyboards have stickers on them. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a solution that works and the only one from a practical point of view.

Anyway, the pleasure to type on the mechanical keyboard of your choice takes priority.

Here is a picture of my Poker. Notice the stickers...

[Oobly]

Stickers are okay, but I suggest you learn where the characters are and then it doesn't matter what physical layout you use. I do this with Finnish / Swedish boards. I just ignore what is written on the keys. My fingers know what is where.

A good way to do this it to use blank keys. You can put stickers on the blanks to start off and remove them once you are confident you know where things are. Maybe take them off one at a time as you get used to the layout. Eventually you can be free like davkol!

[PointyFox]

I was in a battleship recently and the commander's keyboard had stickers on it for Wordperfect shortcuts and some of the targeting computer keyboards had relegendable keys.  Also a lot of specialized computers have keyboards with stickers, like for music and video editing.

[SOROBORU88]

First of all, thank you all. You are all a great support. The touchtype ins't much of problem since I touchtype from highschool. But my computer at home and at work is used by another people and they are not keen to touchtype.

The only reason I would touchtype and be careless to the others would be buying Noppoo Choc Mini If you know what I mean

And relegendable keycaps are quite above the reach. Since EVERYTHING IS SO MOTHERFLIPPIN' EXPENSIVE to get here! Sorry for that, but my budget hardly supports buying one keyboard and other epxenses are not quite welcomed.

[davkol]

And relegendable keycaps are quite above the reach. Since EVERYTHING IS SO MOTHERFLIPPIN' EXPENSIVE to get here! Sorry for that, but my budget hardly supports buying one keyboard and other epxenses are not quite welcomed.

Elcom POS keypads come with relegendables and occasionally show up at decent prices.

[tp4tissue]

If you want that |_||332-1337 status among enthusiasts..  you gotta go Blanks...

Stickers
Backlit keys
Legend keys
Standard layouts (un-customized)
Colorful keycaps
Keyboard decorations (sans googly-eyes)


ALL tell-tale signs of N00000bness....

[SOROBORU88]

If you want that |_||332-1337 status among enthusiasts..  you gotta go Blanks...

Stickers
Backlit keys
Legend keys
Standard layouts (un-customized)
Colorful keycaps
Keyboard decorations (sans googly-eyes)


ALL tell-tale signs of N00000bness....

Show Image

Teach me, master.

[tp4tissue]

If you want that |_||332-1337 status among enthusiasts..  you gotta go Blanks...

Stickers
Backlit keys
Legend keys
Standard layouts (un-customized)
Colorful keycaps
Keyboard decorations (sans googly-eyes)


ALL tell-tale signs of N00000bness....

Show Image

Teach me, master.

Blank Keycaps
PBT
Lubricated stabilizers
Understated design
Customized Layout to replace unused keys

and

A stern look upon one's face

Hallmarks of a pr0, notice that such signs are in what's unseen..

[Hellmark]

I'd personally go with relegendable keys, since they're fairly cheap, and stickers can pick up oils from your fingers and end up looking nasty. Plus relegendable keys you can play around with and change things up if you're bored.

Lot of people go blank, but they're not for everyone. I don't need to see when typing for most things, but every now and again you have to reach for a rarely used key. Also, sometimes you just need to know where things are to have a starting point.

[tp4tissue]

I'd personally go with relegendable keys, since they're fairly cheap, and stickers can pick up oils from your fingers and end up looking nasty. Plus relegendable keys you can play around with and change things up if you're bored.

Lot of people go blank, but they're not for everyone. I don't need to see when typing for most things, but every now and again you have to reach for a rarely used key. Also, sometimes you just need to know where things are to have a starting point.

the relegendables have very smooth / suction-ee surfaces that kinda sticks to your fingers if there's moisture, humidity.

[davkol]

Setting the layout image as your wallpaper costs nothing.

[Hellmark]

It isn't a big deal to put a texture on. One thing I've done is light sandblasting, and use a polish or a wax to give back some transparency.

[Findecanor]

Let me suggest blank keycaps with stickers put on the front of the keycaps.
That way, the stickers won't interfere with the feel.

If you want to make it look really good, then don't use stickers but water-slide decals on light keycaps. You would have to print them yourself, though. You can find them in model hobby stores. There are different varieties for laser-printers and ink-jet printers.

Instead of sticking stickers on keycaps, why not try relengendable keycaps?

All of them are in one profile and the keycaps are flat with no texture. You could just as well use a chiclet in that case.

[SOROBORU88]

Well all ideas are fine. Me personally like the one with blanks. Them would be used at home and the lettered keycaps would be used at work.

I can get a keyboard from China pretty cheap and without paying EU taxes. But the keycaps are another song. Even if I bought cheapest wasds, I would still have to pay the tax and the price almost doubles. I didn't find an 87 set of blank keycaps on ebay originated from China - they can sand it without paying the EU tax - AMAZING

[spiceBar]

...stickers can pick up oils from your fingers and end up looking nasty...

I have to disagree. I have been using stickers for months now.

These are vinyl stickers, printed on the sticking side. The side you touch has not been printed at all. The texture is not as sandy as PBT caps, but it's not slick either. To the touch, it's pretty much like new ABS keycaps.

They don't pick oil from your fingers more than the uncovered keycaps.

I don't have stickers on all the keys, because many letters are located at the same place in AZERTY and QWERTY (for example most of the second and third row starting from the bottom). When I type, I can't really tell when I'm hitting a sticker or a regular key.

I guess some day they will wear out, for example a corner will start to unstick, but this is not a problem. A full set of stickers costs $2 or so, and I have several ready in advance.

It's not a perfect solution, but it works well enough.

The first time I used them was on my Realforce 88UB. It is AZERTY already, but has black on dark gray labels. They are unreadable. I cannot type on a blank keyboard, so I had to put AZERTY stickers on an AZERTY keyboard! 

[terran5992]

Is there a difference feeling between stickered and non stickered switches?

[tp4tissue]

...stickers can pick up oils from your fingers and end up looking nasty...

I have to disagree. I have been using stickers for months now.

These are vinyl stickers, printed on the sticking side. The side you touch has not been printed at all. The texture is not as sandy as PBT caps, but it's not slick either. To the touch, it's pretty much like new ABS keycaps.

They don't pick oil from your fingers more than the uncovered keycaps.

I don't have stickers on all the keys, because many letters are located at the same place in AZERTY and QWERTY (for example most of the second and third row starting from the bottom). When I type, I can't really tell when I'm hitting a sticker or a regular key.

I guess some day they will wear out, for example a corner will start to unstick, but this is not a problem. A full set of stickers costs $2 or so, and I have several ready in advance.

It's not a perfect solution, but it works well enough.

The first time I used them was on my Realforce 88UB. It is AZERTY already, but has black on dark gray labels. They are unreadable. I cannot type on a blank keyboard, so I had to put AZERTY stickers on an AZERTY keyboard! 

well if there's paper in there, the oil can still seep in through the sides..

[Hellmark]

In my experience, after a while, the oils and acids from your skin start getting at the glue at the very edge of the sticker, causing it to come up, and on vinyl ones, can cause build up on top of the vinyl, giving a really grubby feel to them. I noticed the grubbiness more so on stickers than on plain keys

[tbc]

ugh, i would never use stickers, I buy caps with nice textures (AKA PBT).

i can touch type well enough and if someone else can't, they can suck it*.

*not literally, there is nothing good about sucking on keycaps**.

**not from experience, i swear.

[spiceBar]

...stickers can pick up oils from your fingers and end up looking nasty...

I have to disagree. I have been using stickers for months now.

These are vinyl stickers, printed on the sticking side. The side you touch has not been printed at all. The texture is not as sandy as PBT caps, but it's not slick either. To the touch, it's pretty much like new ABS keycaps.

They don't pick oil from your fingers more than the uncovered keycaps.

I don't have stickers on all the keys, because many letters are located at the same place in AZERTY and QWERTY (for example most of the second and third row starting from the bottom). When I type, I can't really tell when I'm hitting a sticker or a regular key.

I guess some day they will wear out, for example a corner will start to unstick, but this is not a problem. A full set of stickers costs $2 or so, and I have several ready in advance.

It's not a perfect solution, but it works well enough.

The first time I used them was on my Realforce 88UB. It is AZERTY already, but has black on dark gray labels. They are unreadable. I cannot type on a blank keyboard, so I had to put AZERTY stickers on an AZERTY keyboard! 

well if there's paper in there, the oil can still seep in through the sides..

No paper involved. The symbols are printed directly at the back of the vinyl, then they are covered with some non-paper material (maybe slimmer vinyl or some special coating I don't know) and then some good quality adhesive. You cannot separate the layers. Nothing get in in between the layers, they are sealed.

It's true you can feel the side of the sticker with your finger if you do nothing after putting them, but I have found that rubbing and pressing the sides with some plastic tool makes the edges almost flush with the key profile, so I can hardly feel them now.

I don't see the stickers aging at all after several months of daily use. I guess they will eventually, but as I said the stickers are so cheap that the shipping was several times their price. So I ordered several sheets at once for a grand total of less than $15. That's enough for years of use.

At last I don't have to care about finding the right key with the right label. Now all I need is to find a key with a size that fits. As long as I have a sticker with the right symbol, it's fine.

[kolonelkadat]

lol when I first changed to colemak, I printed out a chart cut out all the keys and glued them to the keyboard.

the keys got super gross really fast. Im sure stickers will be the same way. eventually the glue will start to come out the sides of the stickers and then your keys will be sticky and start turning brown from all the oil and glue and bits of dust. its seriously so gross.

[wuqe]

...
I don't see the stickers aging at all after several months of daily use. I guess they will eventually, but as I said the stickers are so cheap that the shipping was several times their price. So I ordered several sheets at once for a grand total of less than $15. That's enough for years of use.

Where'd you get yours from? The only stickers I've been able to find are cutesy, novelty stickers that don't look designed for sustained use.

[spiceBar]

lol when I first changed to colemak, I printed out a chart cut out all the keys and glued them to the keyboard.

the keys got super gross really fast. Im sure stickers will be the same way. eventually the glue will start to come out the sides of the stickers and then your keys will be sticky and start turning brown from all the oil and glue and bits of dust. its seriously so gross.

Definitely not the case of those I use.

[spiceBar]

...
I don't see the stickers aging at all after several months of daily use. I guess they will eventually, but as I said the stickers are so cheap that the shipping was several times their price. So I ordered several sheets at once for a grand total of less than $15. That's enough for years of use.

Where'd you get yours from? The only stickers I've been able to find are cutesy, novelty stickers that don't look designed for sustained use.

You can find some on Amazon, but I have ordered the ones I use from this site:
  http://www.clavier-azerty.com

The site starts in french, but many pages are in English. You have plenty of pictures and they have stickers for a lot of languages.

[jevvix]

Why such mechanical things without a soul like a sticker can make you feel shame? Your soul need to be less dependent on what other think about you.

My thoughts exactly! If it's something you need, especially for work, there's no reason to feel any shame.

[davkol]

Why such mechanical things without a soul like a sticker can make you feel shame? Your soul need to be less dependent on what other think about you.

My thoughts exactly! If it's something you need, especially for work, there's no reason to feel any shame.

Well, people sometimes mention "professional environment" as something that prevents them from getting a colorful 'board for work.... but I'd add that if you need stickers, it definitely doesn't look like you're an expert in the field. For example, I facepalm everytime I have to go to the post office—those ladies are hunt'n'pecking, although typing is a necessary part of their job. O_o

[jevvix]

Why such mechanical things without a soul like a sticker can make you feel shame? Your soul need to be less dependent on what other think about you.

My thoughts exactly! If it's something you need, especially for work, there's no reason to feel any shame.

Well, people sometimes mention "professional environment" as something that prevents them from getting a colorful 'board for work.... but I'd add that if you need stickers, it definitely doesn't look like you're an expert in the field. For example, I facepalm everytime I have to go to the post office—those ladies are hunt'n'pecking, although typing is a necessary part of their job. O_o

I could see that but as long as they're done tastefully, ie. black background stickers on a black keyboard with a standard font, I wouldn't see the problem.

[davkol]

Why such mechanical things without a soul like a sticker can make you feel shame? Your soul need to be less dependent on what other think about you.

My thoughts exactly! If it's something you need, especially for work, there's no reason to feel any shame.

Well, people sometimes mention "professional environment" as something that prevents them from getting a colorful 'board for work.... but I'd add that if you need stickers, it definitely doesn't look like you're an expert in the field. For example, I facepalm everytime I have to go to the post office—those ladies are hunt'n'pecking, although typing is a necessary part of their job. O_o

I could see that but as long as they're done tastefully, ie. black background stickers on a black keyboard with a standard font, I wouldn't see the problem.

Ummm... the problem is that the person that requires stickers can't touch type.

[SOROBORU88]

My sister use stickers on her notebooke, since she destroyed it's keyboard and had to replace it with spare one from China, which didn't have the czech lettering. The stickers fade out pretty quickly, but they still sticks to the keyboard pretty good.

We don't have strict "keyboard dress code" at work, but our secretary sometimes uses my computer, becuase my is stronger and faster than hers (she is an elderly lady with greed for purses and shoes). But I type a lot and need something decent, or at least similar to what I have at home (and by that I mean keyboard).

I would buy blanks for my home keyboard, 87 set, but it either has to be from China, or really cheapo just slip under the tax line.

[spiceBar]

but I'd add that if you need stickers, it definitely doesn't look like you're an expert in the field.

You are kidding, right?

[davkol]

but I'd add that if you need stickers, it definitely doesn't look like you're an expert in the field.

You are kidding, right?

Absolutely not.

Can you imagine a bus driver that would have to look at the gear stick before each changing gears?

[Hellmark]

For me, key layout is all in muscle memory. When I am typing I don't have to look at the keyboard, but if I am actively trying to figure out what key to press, I need to see the legends. I am sure I cannot be the only one that is this way.

[spiceBar]

but I'd add that if you need stickers, it definitely doesn't look like you're an expert in the field.

You are kidding, right?

Absolutely not.

Can you imagine a bus driver that would have to look at the gear stick before each changing gears?

We Need to tell Stephen Hawking that he cannot keep on working on astrophysics because he can't even write an equation.

You have an opinion about who can and cannot be a keyboard expert. You know what they say about opinions...

[davkol]

Last time I checked, Hawking didn't use a keyboard.

[Britney Spears]

For me, key layout is all in muscle memory. When I am typing I don't have to look at the keyboard, but if I am actively trying to figure out what key to press, I need to see the legends. I am sure I cannot be the only one that is this way.

Nope, it's exactly the same for me. My first mechanical keyboard was a Das Ultimate. While this proved to be no problem when simply writing texts or code, I was always lost when I had to think about the keys I wanted to press (setting new passwords was especially challenging).
I guess that makes me a keyboard noob, which I am btw.

[tp4tissue]

For me, key layout is all in muscle memory. When I am typing I don't have to look at the keyboard, but if I am actively trying to figure out what key to press, I need to see the legends. I am sure I cannot be the only one that is this way.

Nope, it's exactly the same for me. My first mechanical keyboard was a Das Ultimate. While this proved to be now problem when simply writing texts or code, I was always lost when I had to think about the keys I wanted to press (setting new passwords was especially challenging).
I guess that makes me a keyboard noob, which I am btw.

You'll get there...

[Hellmark]

For passwords, if I know what I have to type then I can let muscle memory kick in. That I have good enough that I know if I do typo and automatically correct for it.

[spiceBar]

Last time I checked, Hawking didn't use a keyboard.

Last time I checked, my bus driver didn't either.

Don't try to tell me who can and who cannot be a keyboard expert.

[rowdy]

Pretty much all the buses here are automatic

[Lu_e]

I was in a battleship recently and the commander's keyboard had stickers on it for Wordperfect shortcuts and some of the targeting computer keyboards had relegendable keys.

I bet you wanted to push a key so bad...