What is ABS and PBT keycaps?

What is ABS and PBT keycaps?

ABS keycaps are the cheapest and most common plastic used for keycaps. PBT plastic is less common but is usually higher quality than ABS. ABS keycaps feel smooth and develop a greasy shine over time, while PBT keycaps feel textured and are more durable.

What is better PBT or ABS keycaps?

ABS produces a softer sound, PBT produces a crisper sound PBT is harder and produces a more tactile sound. Neither is better, it’s up to preference, but there are a lot of fans of the sound a premium ABS keycap like GMK produces.

What does ABS and PBT stand for?

ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. These keycaps are a cheaper alternative to PBT keycaps and tend to wear down faster over time. ABS offers a shinier and smoother appearance, while PBT caps are traditionally matte and evenly textured.

Are Logitech keycaps ABS or PBT?

The keycaps also feel a little flimsy. They’re made out of ABS and not thicker PBT, and the matte finish is worn down to a shine very quickly.

Do ABS keycaps sound better?

The materials from which ABS is made, the keycaps produce clicking noises as you type. Both keycap types produce some kind of noise, but PBT typically produces less noise than ABS keycaps, even for thin PBT keycaps.

Can you bake ABS keycaps?

I’ve been making keycaps out of polymer clay. I didn’t know much about doing this when I started, but I will tell you that ABS keycaps will melt in the oven, so use either PBT keycaps or air-dry clay.

What causes ABS to shine?

Most keyboard’s keycaps are made of ABS plastic. ABS is short for “Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene”. Ugly Wear-Shine developed over years of use on ABS plastic keycaps. That is because most other plastics shrink too much in the molding process.

How do you tell if keycaps are PBT?

Put a drop of acetone on something like a toothpick and swirl it on the underside of a key cap. If it etches the surface, it is ABS. If the surface is impervious, it is PBT.

What keycaps does Keychron use?

The keycap is designed for the Keychron K2 keyboard. Different rows on the keyboard have different heights and slope profiles and Keychron K2 keycap uses OEM profile with MX style. Therefore the K2 keyboard is compatible with other OEM profile keycaps in the market.

Do you prefer ABS or PBT?

Compared to PBT, ABS keycaps are typically lighter—about half as heavy. If you prefer a smoother and more enjoyable typing experience, PBT is the keycap for you. For some reason, if you prefer a light keycap, then go for ABS.