Summary
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Stick to one keyboard profile, as mixing profiles can result in tactile unevenness.
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Choose your keycap materials because different plastics and printing methods change the feel and sound of your keyboard.
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Choose keycaps from the same manufacturer or product line to maintain consistency in sound, style, and feel.
If you have a mechanical keyboard, you've probably thought about mixing up key sets—whether it's a few accent keys or a full set, it's a fun way to make your board unique. Before we get started, however, let's go over a few key points to make sure your mix is right.
Keycaps come in different shapes and sizes
Depending on how deep down the keyboard rabbit hole you are, you may know that keycaps come in different so-called profiles. A keyboard's profile is the overall shape and height of a key, which directly affects how it feels when entering text. Contour, height, and angle are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a set of keycaps.
The most common profiles are OEM, Cherry, SA, DSA and XDA. OEM and Cherry are probably the most familiar to you as they are the most popular. Both have a medium height and a sculpted shape that makes them easy to type on. The main difference is that the Cherry is thinner, has a less pronounced angle and is more stable between rows, while the OEM is a little taller and has a slightly steeper angle.
In contrast, XDA and DSA provide completely different typing experiences. These keycaps have the same height and angle, providing a smoother, more consistent feel throughout the keyboard. The XDA is slightly taller and has a larger, more spherical top to provide more surface area for your fingers, while the DSA feels a little faster and more accurate.
The SA keyboard profile is in a league of its own. SA keycaps, like Cherry and OEM, have a raised shape, but they are much taller and more massive. This helps them achieve super thick sound profilebut some people may find it difficult to type on SA keys.
Keep in mind that this is just a general overview of the most popular key profiles and should provide you with a guideline for purchasing other types such as KAT, MT3, MDA, ASA and so on. If your keyboard uses switches with a standard MX style stem, these keycaps should be interchangeable.
It's important to know that not all key profiles will be good if you mix them blindly. For example, going from a sculpted profile like the Cherry to a flat profile like the XDA can feel jarring, even if their relative heights aren't that different.
This inconsistent height between individual keys or rows creates tactile unevenness, a bit like a “wobbly staircase.” The spacing between rows seems uneven, and you'll notice sharp dips and peaks when typing quickly. I tried mixing different key profiles. in different positions, and to be honest, it has never been as smooth as using one profile across the board.
To complicate matters further, even if an online set claims to have a specific profile, it doesn't always strictly match the dimensions of other sets. Even a few millimeters of difference between adjacent keycaps can create an annoying tactile discrepancy that defeats the purpose of mixing profiles.
This is why I highly recommend sticking to the same keyboard profile, and to avoid discrepancies between manufacturers, if possible, stick with one manufacturer that you like.
Keycap materials and finishes don't always match
While the key profile is probably the most important thing to consider when mixing and matching keycaps, it is not the only factor. Keycaps can be made from a wide variety of materials, the most popular being PBT, ABS and, to a much lesser extent, POM.
Several niche materials such as wood, resin and metal can also be used for keycaps, but these are usually reserved for one or two accent keys such as Esc and Enter (and these can usually be mixed and matched as desired).
While mixing the same profile using different materials is fine, it will not provide a consistent typing experience like using the same material. ABS feels more slippery, while PBT tends to be more matte.
However, while the material is suitable for long-term wear, it alone does not completely determine the appearance of the new keycaps. The manufacturer may polish the grained PBT keycap to make it appear smooth, or texture the ABS keycap to make it more like PBT when new. Personally, I don't like mixing materials as I think it creates an unpleasant tactile sensation, but it's not as big a problem as mixing different profiles.
Another thing I should point out is the method used to apply the lettering (letters and symbols) to the keycaps, such as double printing, dye printing, UV printing, laser etching, etc. While this isn't a big deal, it's worth noting that not all double action keycaps are the same, which can make a big difference in the sound of the keys.
For example, double keycaps use two pieces of plastic: one for the legend and one for the outer part. Some dual injection keycaps use only a small piece of plastic at the top for the lettering, while others use a dual injection process with partial or full injection, meaning the two plastics are fused together throughout, not just at the top.
To see what I mean, compare these three types of keys in the picture below.
The reason keycaps are made this way is to save material and therefore cost. As you'd expect, keycaps with less plastic are lighter and sound hollower, so it's best to try to find keycaps that are fully injected, although determining the type of injection based on online listings alone isn't always possible.
If you don't pay attention to this and mix, for example, Cherry profile keycaps that look and feel the same but have different amounts of injection, you may notice a slight discrepancy in sound from key to key that is difficult to determine. Now that you know about this little-known feature, it will be much easier to achieve a consistent sound on your keyboard.
Stick to one product line for best results
When you're mixing keycaps, consistency (pun intended) is key. This is how you will get the best results in terms of sound, style and feel. To make your life easier, buy sets of keycaps from the same manufacturer and, ideally, the same product line. This way you will know everything from the profile to the materials and the application of the legend will be the same.
For example, both KeiKobo's Sacred Timeline And Keikobo soy r2 Made by the same manufacturer, they have double ABS plastic and keycaps with a Cherry profile. If you like both sets, you can buy them and mix and match them however you want and they will still look and feel the same.
- Form factor
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Full size
- Keycaps
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ABS
The KeyKobo Sacred Timeline is a set of ABS keycaps with a Cherry profile inspired by the TVA organization from the TV show Loki. It features retro-futuristic designs and colors inspired by the 1970s. The keycaps use triple subgrades for alpha, double keys and tampo-printed new ones and are compatible with MX style switches.
Mixing Keycaps is a great way to breathe new life into your mechanical keyboard. If you already have several sets of keys and want to make do with what you have, pay close attention to the nuances outlined above. This way, you can create a keyboard that looks unique without compromising the typing feel or sound. Have fun changing keycaps!
