Keycap Compatibility Basics

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Keyboard Compatibility

This keycap set covers probably any board you want it to. That was explicitly one of the design goals with the set, no exclusion if possible. That being said there is probably a layout that it doesn't quite cover. Even if that is the case I'm sure through some out-of-row-profile creativity you can probably make it work.

Here are some examples of layouts it covers for reference. AFTER you read the next section about the basics of keycap compatibility if you have any questions feel free to hit me up on discord or email. Not knowing if a kit will cover your board properly or buying a set that turns out not to fit your board is so incredibly frustrating. This is not meant to be some "don't ask basic questions" gatekeeping nonsense, if you need some help just ask. But, trying to understand on your own first is helpful. If you haven't I'm just going to send you back here anyway.

Keycap Basics

Keycap sizes are represented in Units. A "1u" or "1 Unit" key is the size of a standard square key. Alpha keys (the letter keys) are examples of 1u keys. There are additional larger key sizes that fill in a layout. Typically these are "Modifier" or "Mod" keys, like CTRL, ALT, ENTER, SHIFT, etc.

All of my kit images will have a Unit noted if it's greater than 1u so you can easily see what is included. Here's an example:

DSS White on Black Mac OS Unit Example, Includes 1.25u and 1.5u keys.

You can see that the first row contains 1u keys (no annotation listed), the second row has 1.25u keys and the third row has 1.5u keys. Those number listed on the bottom size of the key will not be on the final production key, they're just an annotation to show the key size.

When you are trying to match a keycap set with your board you need to find the sizes of the keys your keyboard can use. Hopefully this isn't too hard to find. If you have the layout diagram you're golden. If you can't but you have the board with keycaps on it you can simply pull the caps off and measure them. Take  a key off and some alpha keys and line up the 1u alpha keys to find the size of the key. Sometimes keyboards have multiple layouts for a given area of the board that can take different sizes of keys.