Has any manufacturer tried this?

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Since Pad Printing is the most common / cheapest method to print a keycap on standard keyboards, have the manufacturers ever thought about adding in a thin clear polycarbonate layer see through plastic layer on top that snaps into place through side holes on the keycap itself?

The Polycarbonate layer would effectively take all the day to day wear while the pad printing itself will remain.

The Polycarbonate layer only needs to be 1 mm thick and standardized on keycap size.

You don't need to protect the front side of a keycap's screen printing for Fn key function labels since they never get touched through regular usage.

Any thoughts from the GH crowd?

[tbc]

Sounds  insanely expensive

[fohat.digs]

Sounds like clear caps on IBM buckling springs, with legends on the stem piece.

[IvanIvanovich]

Yes these exist. You have described relegendables. While blank relegendable may be more common, there are some keyboard that have pad print or lasered legend to follow standard layout under the lens in cases where alternate programming may not be needed.

[riotonthebay]

Yes these exist. You have described relegendables.

aaaaaaaaaaand they look like ****

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Yes these exist. You have described relegendables. While blank relegendable may be more common, there are some keyboard that have pad print or lasered legend to follow standard layout under the lens in cases where alternate programming may not be needed.

Show Image

Nice!  How are these keycaps?

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Yes these exist. You have described relegendables. While blank relegendable may be more common, there are some keyboard that have pad print or lasered legend to follow standard layout under the lens in cases where alternate programming may not be needed.

Show Image

Is there anyway to mass produce these to be cheap?

[IvanIvanovich]

I don't care for the feeling of polycarb... but I guess they are OK for the purpose they serve. They aren't expensive. You can buy 250 sack of them from many POS equipment place on internet for like $35 or so. Downside is they only come in top row profile, and 1x1, 1x2 and 2x2 size only.

[mougrim]

Too glossy. Must be a hell to type in a bright light.

[Melvang]

To smooth.  I gotta have texture to the caps.

[mougrim]

To smooth.  I gotta have texture to the caps.

Too glossy, too smooth... no good, to be short.

[Pacifist]

Yes these exist. You have described relegendables. While blank relegendable may be more common, there are some keyboard that have pad print or lasered legend to follow standard layout under the lens in cases where alternate programming may not be needed.

Show Image

Nice!  How are these keycaps?

****

don't use them, barely anybody likes to type on them

also for me they fall off often

[mougrim]

don't use them, barely anybody likes to type on them

also for me they fall off often

Well, probably 9 of 10 users of those keys are those poor sods who are HAVE to use them. Because they are working behind the counter in some shop.

[berserkfan]

As a guy who Does use relegendables, I agree. Buy them if you need them. Don't buy them if you don't have layers that you need to label. They are not fun to type on.

[Puddsy]

Yes these exist. You have described relegendables. While blank relegendable may be more common, there are some keyboard that have pad print or lasered legend to follow standard layout under the lens in cases where alternate programming may not be needed.

Show Image

Nice!  How are these keycaps?

They're really lame. They feel alright, but they're rattle-y.

[PhineasRex]

Yes these exist. You have described relegendables. While blank relegendable may be more common, there are some keyboard that have pad print or lasered legend to follow standard layout under the lens in cases where alternate programming may not be needed.

Show Image

Nice!  How are these keycaps?

The only ones I have tried are profileless and totally flat, which I did not like.