Ortholinear and columnar keyboards indeed have a different design compared to traditional keyboards, with keys arranged in columns rather than rows. This can make it challenging to find suitable keycaps, as most keycap sets are designed for traditional layouts.
Also, these keyboards have more standalone 1-unit keys than traditional keyboards. Traditional keycap sets, with a limited number of 1-unit keys, can be challenging to adapt to ortholinear or columnar keyboards, potentially hindering effective use on these specialized layouts.
The problem is that you may not have enough 1u keycaps for your columnar keyboard, even if you buy a 100% layout keycap set. For the Dygma Defy, you may have all the keycaps you need, but you might need to use random keycaps for the outer and inner columns.
When searching for keycaps for your ortholinear keyboard, you have several options:
- Defy Keycaps Set: Purchase a set specifically designed for the Defy keyboard.
- Uniform Profile Keycaps (XDA or DSA): Choose keycaps with a uniform profile providing consistent height across rows for flexible key placement.
- Keycaps with No Legends: Pick keycaps without any symbols or markings for simplicity, but keep in mind it could be tricky if you're not used to typing without looking at the keys. Also, be aware that you may need to buy two sets to cover all the keys.
- Partial Replacement: Consider changing only the alphas or both alphas and the number row. Ensure the new set matches your keyboard's profile.
- Mix and Match: If you lack keycaps for your columnar keyboard, mix and match from different sets to create a unique aesthetic.
Check out the more information about keycaps hunting in this article: Keycaps for Ortholinear/Columnar keyboards.
Explore Dygma's keycaps section in the store, where you'll discover sets available in both white and black colors, featuring various layouts tailored to seamlessly meet your keyboard's requirements.