I Need Advice on Custom Keycap Set for Ergodox EZ

Learning and discussion Keycaps
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Hey guys! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I just joined the split-keyboard club with a shiny new Ergodox EZ, and I’m obsessed! It’s amazing, but I’m itching to personalize it a bit with some killer keycaps. I’ve seen some seriously awesome setups on here, and I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Keycap Comfort:
First things first, keycap profiles! I’ve been reading about DSA and SA, but with the Ergodox’s split design, I’m not sure which feels best. Any insights from your experience?

Material Matters:
Speaking of feel, what about materials? ABS or PBT? I want something durable that’ll hold up to marathon typing sessions, but also feels nice on the fingertips.

Aesthetics & Awesomeness:
Now onto the fun part: keycap sets! Any recommendations for sets that are both beautiful and functional? I’m open to exploring custom designs or popular options out there right now.

Compatibility Check:
Before I dive in, are there any compatibility quirks I should know about with Ergodox EZ keycaps? Specific vendors or sets to avoid any headaches?

Show & Tell!
Last but not least, what are YOUR favorite keycap sets for the Ergodox EZ? If you have any pics of your setup, I’d love to see them for inspiration!

Thanks a bunch for the help, everyone! Excited to hear your thoughts and see those sweet keycap setups.

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Hi, again. Can’t speak to all, but I’ll touch on a basic material comparison:

They both can fill that need. ABS is more sensitive to finger oils and heat, so the more frequently used keys will quickly develop “shine”. Some like this, some are ambivalent, some hate it. However, the legends will not wear off if the caps are double-shot, which the main legends of pretty much all ABS are. They will wear evenly with the surrounding plastic.

PBT does not shine, though I understand some (rare) double-shot PBT caps are actually blended with ABS, so we can expect them to shine, but perhaps at a slower rate than pure ABS. PBT is usually dye-sublimated, in which dye is embedded in the cap surface permanently under heat. Again, the legends will not wear off. They are not just printed on the surface.

PBT is also tough. Some PBT sets are especially thick, and you’ll tend to get a deeper sound from PBT than from ABS.

Watch out for sets with a large number of caps that are “reverse dye subbed,” which is usually the case where the cap is a darker color than the legend. In this case, the legend is masked out and the rest of the cap is dyed. The process has greater potential to warp the cap, and there can be color fading on the sides. How much can vary by manufacturer and keycap vintage; I believe this has improved recently. It’s not a definite “no,” just a cautionary note.

PBT plastic does come in a variety of underlying colors, so just because it’s colorful doesn’t mean it’s reverse dye subbed.

To aesthetics, in general, the dye-sublimation process and PBT can yield some nice colorful results, but also lends a more muted or matte look compared to the pure vibrancy that is possible with double-shot caps that just are that color. It’s a matter of preference.

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The telltale is if the keycap body is darker than the legend. Dye-sub works poorly or not at all if you’re trying to make, say, a white on black set. They will have needed to use doubleshot molding or reverse dye-sub.

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Keycap Comfort:
My Ergodox from Falba came with I think DSA profile caps. Learning columnar is hard enough. But if it goes in pair with keycap height it is even harder. I ended up with cherry profile keycaps and that felt familiar.

Compatibility Check:
You want 12 1.5u caps and 4 2u caps in the keycaps set. Most beefy NicePBT keycap sets can fill an ErgoDox. It might be a mish mash tthough.