Keycaps play a vital role in the world of mechanical keyboards, contributing not just to aesthetics but also to the overall typing experience.
In order to grasp the profile used in the Defy keyboard, let's take a look at some of the keycap profiles:
- SA Profile (Spherical All): High-profile with a rounded top, known for a classic, elegant look. Often preferred for its sculpted design
- DSA Profile (Distributed Structure All): Uniform keycap height across all rows, popular for a clean, modern appearance. Ideal for those who enjoy a flat typing surface.
- OEM Profile: Most common and widely used profile, slightly curved and sculpted. Offers a comfortable and familiar feel.
- XDA Profile: Medium-profile with a flat, cylindrical top, known for its uniform keycap height across rows. Offers a sleek and modern appearance.
- Cherry Profile: Named after Cherry MX switches, slightly lower in height. Provides a balance between comfort and aesthetics.
The Dygma Defy team chose Cherry profile keycaps for their ergonomic and low-profile design, despite potential interference with north-facing switches. The decision was driven by a desire for a sleek keyboard and user comfort with sculpted keycaps.
The size of the keycaps depends on how many keycaps are used. The Defy keyboard, for instance, uses only 1 unit keycaps.
The keycaps on the thumbcluster are custom, so the size is different. You can find more information in the following article: Thumbcluster 3D printing.
If you want to customize your keycaps make sure that you have enough 1 unit keycaps, for a clearer understanding take a look at this help center article! Or watch this video instead!