[Knowledgeable keycaps] Domikey dye-sublimation——What is the quality of the dye-sublimation keycaps produced by manufacturers specializing in the two-color field?

Cutting to the point, this column will talk about a set of keycap proofing products that I recently received.

Manufacturer: Domikey

Height: original cherry height

Material: PBT (96.5%)

Process: single-sided sublimation.

At present, three versions have been drawn up: no root, red sun root, and blue sun root

no root

blue japanese root

From the design point of view, there is nothing to say, it is a very conventional bow, but through some advantages brought by sublimation, dmk also tries to add some conventional functional pattern supplements to the kit, which is well received and convenient for some users. It can also be used as a small keyboard toy function key.

This time I received domikey's blue Japanese root proofing product. It is expected that the packaging of large products should be the same height as the original two-color packaging, and blister layering is a long-standing tradition of dmk.

Samples delivered by express delivery

level one

Second floor

the third floor

blue radical letter area

Due to the limited level and lighting problems, the characters in these photos are light in color. The actual color of this set of keycaps is that the white part is like white paper, the black is darker, and the root is similar to navy blue and a little purple.

Domikey factory tiger single side sublimation printing effect

As a sublimation keycap, it can be seen from the clarity of the characters that the printing level is already very good.

There is no smudge, no strange deformation, the font part still uses Domikey's own two-color font but slightly adjusted, giving people a chubby feeling, very round.

The mobile phone focuses on the shooting, and there is a problem with the root color due to light and white balance.

In terms of feel, I still prefer the two-color molding feel of domikey, which is finely frosted. This set of large-scale sublimation products feels a little stagnant. The first feeling is a bit stagnant when you first start using it. It is much warmer and moister, without that kind of sticky feeling, which is worthy of praise. The surface is comfortable to the touch. After the mold is modified, it is tougher and smoother than the factory tiger.

Seven times and space are the most suitable keys in a set of keycaps to judge the injection molding level of the product. The seven times are still thick and practical materials as always, and the PBT content is 96.5%.

seven times

Flatness test

The color of this version of the big product in my hand is very white, very standard white. I actually don’t like this white very much. Although it is understandable as a bow, I still prefer a slightly warmer tone.

The keycaps manufactured by DOMIKEY naturally inherit the fine tradition of their family. The nozzle is made at the bottom of the keycap, which does not affect the aesthetics of the keycap. Pick out a space bar, and the bottom edge is straight and close to the plane without bending. Deformation is well controlled. Looking at the workmanship inside, there are four key columns, and the nozzle is designed at the bottom, and there is only one nozzle. Many brands have more than two nozzles in the space. No obvious burrs can be seen on the back of the keycap, and the entire details are well controlled.

straightness

back nozzle

The material is solid, so you don't have to worry about the problem that the keycaps are not shading. After turning on the light, there is no need to worry about the keycap being penetrated by the light in the actual effect. It should be said that it is very good to achieve this level, but this is also the most basic point for them in my opinion.

The clarity of characters has already been introduced in the previous article. Needless to say, this time I mainly talk about the style of large-scale characters. I personally think that the letter area is good, and it looks good with navy blue fonts. In fact, many people have been criticizing the characters in the mod area of ​​Domikey's two-color products, especially the backspace of the large keys. Dye-Sublimation does not need to worry about this problem, but subjectively speaking, I personally feel that Domikey's large-key characters are designed from the perspective of It’s not particularly good-looking, but it’s quite satisfactory. I like the design of the letter block and radical, which is very distinctive, but each has its own favorite. I also hope that Domikey will continue to improve in the future and strive to make better products.

It is expected to have the same design as Domikey's high-end keycaps

bulk packaging

The blister inside is designed as a keycap and a hole, and the height is corresponding, the ability to protect the keycap is greatly improved, but the disadvantage is that it is not convenient to store.

The space is still a very good arc design, no hand cutting, no reverse installation, praise.

Space Arc Edge Treatment

Although dmk has tested internally that normal cherry shafts will not crack, but there are currently many manufacturers on the market that do not have rigid standards for the production of shafts, and the tolerances vary, so it is still necessary to use the current common ones on the market. Axis must be tested to a certain extent to give a general answer

This time, the DMK bulk sublimation PBT content is 96.5%. At the same time, this keycap has a smoother feel through process and mold corrections, and the keycap has also strengthened its toughness all day long. The current test shaft: TTC, Jiadalong , Kaihua BOX, there is no problem, and follow-up will see if there are any problems with other axes. Now the risk is basically all kinds of customized satellite axis false axes, such as the early owlabv3 satellite axis such as Chrysanthemum Pioneer’s exist.

Some time ago, there was a lot of discussion about the gap between the keycaps. I have some ideas here, but the time is obviously not ripe now. After the incident subsides after a while, I will write about the relevant ideas when I have the opportunity. and do a review.

Speaking of this set of large-scale thermal sublimation, it is even more foolish to directly post pictures.

from my shoot

Photographed by Le Zong

Mr. Le’s set is also from the large-scale proofing sent by domikey. I think although there is still some room for improvement, it can be regarded as reaching a level that most people can accept and recognize. It can also be seen that the changes and progress made by manufacturers after listening to users' opinions are a positive cycle worthy of encouragement.

There is no need to worry about this at present. The probability of one-sided sublimation printing is much lower than that of five-sided printing. Single-sided sublimation printing is still very stable.

The following is where I personally think there is room for improvement.

1. Add more supplements such as F13 and 1U slashes with radicals and some Mac supplements and split spaces, double B, F, J without blind typing, for more configurations and users who need it

2. Hope to provide more choices of different fonts in the future, including different languages ​​and colors, because dye-sublimation can not be limited by two-color mold opening in patterns, and it is a good thing to have more choices.

The use experience of dmk's large-scale sublimation keycaps this time is quite satisfactory, but there are still many places that can be improved and improved.

Regarding the fact that dmk officially launched the dye-sublimation product line, I think it is always good to have one more choice for both consumers and designers.

I personally feel that this bow is quite satisfactory, and there are not many bright spots. However, this is not a shortcoming. The root embellishment will not look too monotonous, and the bow should be pure.

The mass production this time also shows that designers who cooperate with them in the future will have more choices. Dye-sublimation not only lowers the capital threshold but also can design complex patterns. However, dye-sublimation is still incomparable to the two-color molding process in terms of color. , there are also restrictions on color characters. In the future, domikey's dye-sublimation designer models should use injection molding materials to make colors, and single-sided dye-sublimation to make patterns as the main method to ensure production.

From my take, with Alphabet and Numbers installed

the way of buying:

Because of this set of test products, I took the opportunity to have a meal with the president in Guangdong to discuss it for fun, and the production capacity of the entire production line is still in the testing stage. Just for sharing.

expand:

Some known upcoming designer dye-sublimation keycaps.

INKY CAD

GLOVE FADING

If you are interested in these two sets of keycaps, I will continue to pay attention to them in the future.