4 Places to Learn How to Make Artisan Keycaps - HHKB (2024)

Start making artisan keycaps that bring your board’s unique personality to life.

Many people think of computer keycaps, and keyboards overall, as purely utilitarian things. Mechanical keyboardenthusiasts know they can also be an extension and expression of their user’s personality, thanks to thenear-infinite customization options afforded by the range of boards, key switches, and custom keycaps availablefor purchase today. If you want to go even further in making your board a visual delight all your own, it’s timeto learn how to make artisan keycaps.

Whatever your level of DIY experience, this guide will show you the best places to learn the essential skillsfor creating artisan keycaps, as well as how to find (or become) a keycap designer to bring a unique look to allof your keys. But first, let’s define what we mean by the term “artisan keycaps.”

Find the perfect keycaps for every board in your collection with ourEssential Guide to Keycaps.

What are artisan keycaps?

Artisan keycaps are special keycaps made to serve as high-impact accents, either standing as their own artisticcenterpieces or pushing a board’s cohesive theme to the next level. They’re often placed on less frequently usedkeys so their unusual shapes and compositions can be appreciated without reducing the function of the board.That said, there’s nothing keeping you from turning an entire keyboard into a miniature buffet with allfood-themedartisan keycaps if you really want.

Artisan keycaps can either be formed on top of existing keycaps for ease of use, or made from scratch. Eitherway, as long as it can still fit on top of a standard key switch’s cross-shaped stem — and as long as its shapedoesn’t impede the usage of surrounding keys — you could make just about anything.

4 places to learn how to make artisan keycaps

You could take any number of approaches to building the perfect caps, but those looking to learn how to makeartisan keycaps would do well to start with lessons from high-profile creators and the support of dedicatedcommunities. Here are some of our favorites.

To make cute clay caps: Tinymakesthings

Tinymakesthings is a creator dedicated to the craft of artisan keycaps, who shares her work across TikTok,Instagram, and YouTube. Tiny’s medium of choiceis clay, shaped by hand (and by tool) around existing PBTkeycaps then baked to permanent perfection in a standard home oven — it’s very important that you use PBTplastic, not ABS, so you don’t have to worry about your base melting. There’s no question that Tiny is anaccomplished artist, but her accessible choice of medium, love of cute and silly designs, and step-by-stepinstructions also make her a great example to follow for budding keycap artisans.

To make sleek resin caps: jedrek29t

The other main school of artisan keycap creation is about making eye-catching pieces of art, sometimes evenentire miniature dioramas, all within the space of a standard keycap. This is typically accomplished through thejudicious use of transparent epoxy resin, laying down a protective and preserving layer on top of everythingfrom dried flowers to model ships and beyond. As resin artist jedrek29t demonstrates, this kind ofkeycaprequires significantly more specialized materials and equipment than working primarily with clay. However, theresulting creations are worth the effort — and they can be even more dazzling when combined with the right RGBlighting.

To get deep in the process: Mihi Mini Studio

If you learn better by reading, or if you’re new to this corner of the DIY world and want to make sure you doeach step right, you’ll likely find what you need in Mihi Mini Studio’s written tutorial series. It covers howto make artisan keycaps with clay, how to paintkeycaps, and an extensive guide to the materials and equipmentrequired for safely castingresin keycaps. You’ll bejust as glad to have all that info in the back of your mindwhen you set to work on your first artisan keycap as you will on your fiftieth.

To find inspiration: r/Keycaps

Whether you’re looking for beautiful new designs to inspire your next creation, feedback on your own work fromfellow keycap artisans, or even to make a few purchases yourself, you’ll find it all on Reddit’s dedicatedkeycaps subreddit. r/Keycaps’ front page is usually filled with images ofstunningly detailed caps fashioned bya range of creators, both of original concepts and familiar favorites. One word of advice: Don’t let otherpeople’s mastery of the form discourage you in your early efforts. Instead, ask lots of questions to find outhow you can bolster your own skills!

How to find a keycap designer or become your own

Want to imbue the standard keycaps on your keyboard with some extra personality, too? Keycap designer tools willhelp you balance form and function.

To print your own: LinusTechTips

If you’d like to stick with the DIY ethos of the artisan keycaps section, this video from LinusTechTips onYouTube will show you how to use a modified inkjet printer to create your own keycap legends. It isn’t acomplicated process, but it is fairly labor intensive — and you will need a heat press of some kind to transferthe ink from the sublimation paper into your keycap (a lot like applying an iron-on decal to a shirt). Still,once you get your setup rolling, you’ll be able to make any keycap legend you can put to paper.

To order a custom set: WASD

Don’t want to get your hands all inky? WASD Keyboards has you covered with a range of keycaps that can becustomized right from your browser. Pick your preferred keyset, select your favorite colors for the main keysand modifiers, and then the real magic starts: Either choose from a selection of pre-made legends, or uploadyour own designs with an easy-to-usetemplate and vector graphics editor (Inkscape is free if you’re not surewhere to start). It’s the ideal keycap designer suite for creative folks who prefer to leave the printingprocess to professionals.

Add an artfully designed keyboard to your collection

There’s more than one way to make a truly unique keyboard. If you want to try a mechanical board that carves itsown path toward a more refined typing experience, you should check out the full range of high-end keyboards fromHHKB. The combination of an intelligently revised key layout with best-in-class Topre keyswitchescreates anexperience unlike anything else on the market. Order one today and see why HHKB has been a favorite for keyboardenthusiasts around the world for decades.