My Kingdom for Smooth ABS SA Keycaps
Every time I build a new keyboard, I go hunting for keycaps. And every time I go hunting, it eventually devolves into a desperate search for SA (or equivalent) profile keycaps with a smooth finish. SA is the ultimate profile, IMHO, and they're relatively hard to come by. Signature Plastics, which is where a lot of SA sets come from like the T0mb3ry SA Carbon set (they might actually hold the trademark on the SA profile if I'm not mistaken), is reportedly going through some management/ownership struggles (last I heard, they're looking for new ownership), and along with apparently the rest of the industry, they seem to be neglecting this superior keycap profile in their own stocks. If you order direct from them, they have a couple themed sets in stock (maybe), but generally you can have any color you want, as long as it's black or white. Drop carries a fair number of MT3 profile sets, which are very similar to SA. But just like SP's SA-P profile, they're made with a different...
Apr 10, 2024
Base Kit (Base Alphas, Base Modifiers)
Numerics, Custom Modifiers and Extras, High Roller Set
Inspired from casino poker table color scheme, I decided to create a keycap set with some unorthodox keycap concept, especially on the R1 Row for numbers and glyphs/symbols.
The typeface I used mostly are sans-serif for the alphabets, condensed sans-serif for modifiers, and some serif and/or Egyptian style typefaces. The numbers/symbols R1 row incorporate playing cards numerical typeface (1 to 0) while maintaining small but readable glyphs/symbols on top of the numbers.
I knew the typefaces used here are not common with current/existing keycap sets designed/produced by branded/renowned keycap manufacturers, but I felt that in order to create the ambience of a poker table, I was urged to utilize "irregular" typeface to make this set really felt like you're seated in a game of Texas Hold'em Poker. Playing cards' symbols and characters are implemented into the High Roller Set, along with a touch of familiar objects in a poker game such as chips, "snake eyes", as well as some terms affiliated with the game itself (small blind, big blind, dealer, etc.)
Quickly summed, this keycaps set's specification that I have in mind:
- SA Profile
- ABS Dye-sublimated (For the sake of "glossy" look of the keycaps, in order to bring out the shiny nuance of poker table elements)
- Letterings colors : White & Yellow
- Keycap colors : Jet Black, Casino Table Canvas Green and Bloody Red (more specific color swatch such as Pantone or SP's color chips are TBD)
- Manufacturer : TBD
In my opinion, I would rather have the keycaps made as SA profile keycaps rather than DSA or OEM profile, just because I believe it will look beautiful on a custom board with simple, elegant colors or textures such as Black anodized or even Wood-textured cases. I haven't had a chance to make this set rendered yet, so in the future maybe I will be posting up the rendered images of the keycaps with SA profile.As for manufacturer, I can't really say for now (to make the keycap set price/production cost reasonable enough) whether I choose SP (Signature Plastics) or a renowned China keycap manufacturer.
What do you guys think? Oh, and lastly, any helpful inputs/insights is greatly appreciated. Thank you!