Types of Custom Keycaps

Mechanical keyboards are popular for many reasons, like their long-lasting durability or their effect on productivity.

And another reason people love them is that they can be easy to customize.

One of the easiest ways to do this is with custom keycaps.

Custom keycaps are manufactured keycaps made for mechanical keyboards according to the customer's or company's design.

When you're looking for custom keycaps, you'll find lots of different options available (who would've thought?). For example, keys can be made out of either ABS or PBT plastics.

ABS keycaps are generally cheaper and more commonly found. However, the downside to these custom keycaps is that they generally form a greasy shine over time. Moreover, they feel smoother and are less durable over time.

In contrast, PBT keycaps, while less common, are normally of higher quality compared to ABS keycaps. PBTs are usually more textured, don't develop that greasy look, and are more durable overall. However, that doesn't mean you have to buy PBT and leave ABS keycaps behind. Some ABS sets still provide great value overall, and some people prefer the feel of ABS keycaps over textured PBTs.

Besides, you need pay attention to backlighting

If your keyboard has RGB lighting, then you might want to consider purchasing backlit keycaps instead of regular ones. There are two types of custom keycaps for backlighting: double-shot keycaps and pudding keycaps.

Double shot keycaps are simply made with two separate plastics to let light pass through the legends. Hence, they're great if you want to light each key and make them more readable.

On the other hand, pudding keycaps are best if you want to illuminate more than just the symbols. That's because pudding keycaps also let light pass through the sides of the keys, showing off more of your RGB.