Custom printing Model M keycaps

[lamune]

I searched around and really couldn't come up with anything interesting.

I have a P-Touch with a computer interface, and I've printed up essentially stickers to overlay on blank keycaps. It works and is certainly cheap, but what (if anything) have you done to come up with something a little more professional looking?

I could probably laser-etch them, but in seeing how the laser etches other plastics, it's not going to look very good.

Any wisdom to share would be interesting to me- even if it's "just use the stupid P-Touch"

[bhtooefr]

The recommended way that IBM intended was that you get clear caps, and then stick paper under them.

I believe Fentek carries clear caps.

Dye sublimation is the recommended way to get ink into the keycaps. Problem with that approach is that even Unicomp can't get it done very well at all in low volume, and needs to get things professionally made to do it right.

[lamune]

Thanks, I'm aware of the limitations of what Unicomp can do with the technology they have on-hand. I asked them if they had a "Print Screen" key and they said they could make one- and I get it and all they did was shift the normal Print Screen/SysRq down so that the SysRq didn't print on it. As a result it didn't line up with the other keys and I didn't use it.

I got what I asked for, I guess

Clear caps are definitely an option I didn't originally mention, and there are definitely some advantages to using them.

Now that I look at the P-touch labels and finished making what I needed, maybe they aren't so bad after all. Anyone out there think I can do better than this with some other method? (images in links below)

http://sdrv.ms/1dbXTBd

http://sdrv.ms/1dbY3Zp

http://sdrv.ms/1dbY7Zb

[warty]

Lamune, would you mind showing a picture of what you got from Unicomp? On my ModelM, it has "Print|Screen" on the top of the key, and "SysRq" in green on the front. Are you saying they did "Print" on the top and "Screen" on the front or something? I'm only asking because I'm thinking about ordering some custom keys from them.

I think you got excellent results from your stickers, that has to be about as good as you could have done.

[lamune]

I'd have to dig it out of a bag of several hundred caps, but if I find it I'll send a picture. Just think of the "Print Screen" (which is on two lines) shifted down by a line of text and no front SysRq. When you put it next to the Scroll Lock it looks really bizarre.

On the full 101 printed set I did get from them, the front and top printing is black, so you may want to ask if they can do the green front if you wanted to duplicate that particular key.

Thanks!

[warty]

That does sound weird. I am actually looking for a bunch of keys, I was hoping to get some with media type icons on them, and no F1, F2, or anything on the front. I have a Model F and I want to turn the F key columns into ESC + some mac stuff and mute, louder,etc. Along the lines of what you are doing with the P-touch labels.

I think I might Fentek what they can do for custom printing.

[lamune]

They do have a set of keycaps with media symbols on them, but they're dedicated:

http://pckeyboard.com/page/Buttons/MEDIA

The way they do keycap printing doesn't lend itself to custom work unless you're going to pay them a ton of money- their dyesub printer is really all about printing in volume.

You know, though, the more I look at the Fentek stickers the more I think that's probably the best way to go, particularly after I noticed that they can do top and front stickers. The way those are made, they should be a lot more durable than the P-Touch labels.

The one advantage the P-Touch labels have is that they're clear and can go over any color keycap. You can even print white-text ones, which is something you can't do with Unicomp's system.

I'm thinking that perhaps we should collaborate on this, it may be cheaper for both of us, if doing stickers is what you're interested in doing. Get some Fentek white-on-black stickers, some black vinyl dye and you could make a really cool looking black IBM keyboard for a retro-modern look.

By the way I did look through the one bag of caps and didn't find my goofy Print Screen one, but did find the COPY and UNDO ones which I also didn't use for similar reasons- they just look too different from the rest of the keys to use.

[Muirium]

I'm keeping an eye on this. Right now I've a bunch of function keys masquerading as media controls too. On Model F and Model M.

And those Unicomp media keys: oy! Not my style at all.

[warty]

I'm going to contact them about custom printing, and at least get an update on what they say they do and don't do. If volume helps, i'm sure we could get a group buy going. I'll ask generally, and depending on what they say, we can start trying to put together a list of symbols/keys we want printed. I'm not super hopeful...

[lamune]

Ok, I think I'll do the same with my black keycap idea and see what happens.

[lamune]

Interestingly, Fentek did not respond to my request.

Did you have any luck, warty?

[warty]

I didn't get anything from Fentek. I've got an interesting conversation going with Unicomp though. I need to find a couple hours to polish up the key cap illustrations before I can get a real quote though.