Guide
Keycaps: PBT or ABS, doubleshot or dye-sub, and which profile to choose
By Noa, founder of Keyforge · · 3 min read
Keycaps are the only part of the keyboard you actually touch. Their material, their shape and the way the legends are printed change the feel, the sound — and how long your keyboard keeps looking good.
PBT or ABS
Two plastics share almost the entire market. The choice affects feel, ageing and, to a lesser extent, sound.
| Material | Feel | Over time | Sound, generally |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBT | Matte, slightly textured | Barely shines | Deeper, more muted |
| ABS | Smooth, vivid colours | Shines under the fingers after months | Higher, brighter |
Thickness matters as much as material: at around 1.5 mm, a keycap flexes less and sounds fuller than a thin one. A thick, well-finished ABS set beats a thin PBT one.
Doubleshot, dye-sub, laser: how legends are printed
- Doubleshot: the legend is moulded from a second plastic that runs through the keycap. It cannot wear off. Possible in both ABS and PBT.
- Dye-sublimation: ink is diffused into PBT with heat. Very durable, but limited to dark legends on light caps.
- Laser etching: affordable, sometimes low contrast.
- Pad printing: the ink sits on the surface and eventually wears off.
For backlit keyboards, there are keycaps with shine-through legends that let the light pass.
Profiles: Cherry, OEM, SA, DSA, XDA
The profile describes the keycap shape seen from the side. Sculpted profiles give each row its own height and angle to follow the movement of your fingers. Uniform profiles use the same shape everywhere: any key can go in any position.
| Profile | Height | Shape | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry | Low | Sculpted, cylindrical top | The enthusiast favourite, comfortable |
| OEM | Medium | Sculpted | What most off-the-shelf keyboards use |
| SA | Tall | Sculpted, spherical top | Retro, pronounced, a fuller sound |
| DSA | Low | Uniform, spherical top | Understated, versatile |
| XDA | Medium | Uniform, wide and shallow top | Soft under the fingers, modern look |
If you are coming from an ordinary office keyboard, Cherry or OEM will feel the most familiar.
Compatibility: the stem, special keys, ISO
Nearly all keycaps mount on a cross-shaped stem, the one used by MX-style switches. Electrocapacitive switches do not always have one: check before you buy.
Keys are measured in units: 1u is the width of a letter key, about 19 mm. Compact boards often need specific sizes:
- a 1.75u right Shift on most 65% and 75% boards;
- a space bar of 6.25u in general, 7u on some cases;
- an ISO Enter and a short left Shift for European layouts.
Keycap sets are often sold as kits: a base kit, then add-ons (number pad, 40% keys, ISO kit). For a European layout, look for the matching ISO kit — see ANSI versus ISO.
Keycaps and sound
A thick, dense keycap sounds more muted; a thin keycap or a tall profile resonates more. Swapping keycaps is one of the simplest ways to change a keyboard’s voice without touching anything else. The sound guide covers the rest.
Care and lifespan
Pull keycaps off with a wire puller, without forcing the long keys. Wash them in warm soapy water, never in a dishwasher, and let them dry completely before putting them back.