The Ultimate Guide to Custom Keycaps (Profiles, Materials, & Where to Buy)

Keycaps are the individual plastic covers that attach to the mechanical switches on your keyboard, providing the physical surface your fingers press when typing. Are you tired of the standard, shiny black keycaps that came with your keyboard? Upgrading your keycaps is the easiest and most impactful way to customize your mechanical keyboard. Not only does it completely change the aesthetic of your desk setup, but it also alters the sound and typing feel of every keystroke.

The two main decisions when buying custom keycaps are the material (PBT is highly durable and textured, while ABS is cheaper and prone to shining) and the profile (Cherry and OEM are sculpted for ergonomics, while XDA is flat and uniform).

Whether you are building your first custom mechanical keyboard or just want to swap out the WASD keys on your gaming board, this guide covers everything you need to know about keycap materials, profiles, printing methods, and where to buy them.

PBT vs. ABS Keycaps: Which Material is Better?

The plastic used to mold your keycaps determines how they feel, how they sound, and how long they last before wearing down. There are two primary materials used in the mechanical keyboard hobby:

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

ABS is the most common plastic used in mass-produced keyboards from brands like Razer, Corsair, and Logitech.

• The Pros: ABS is cheap to produce, allows for vibrant and bright colors, and results in crisp, clear legends (the letters on the keys). High-end enthusiast sets (like GMK keycaps) actually use ABS because of how well it holds complex colors.
• The Cons: ABS plastic degrades quickly under the oils of your fingers. Within a few months of heavy use, ABS keycaps develop a greasy, permanent “shine.” They also tend to produce a higher-pitched, thinner “clack” sound.

PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate)

PBT is the gold standard for durability and is highly sought after by keyboard enthusiasts.

• The Pros: PBT plastic is incredibly durable and naturally resists the oils from your fingers, meaning it will almost never develop that greasy shine. It has a slightly textured, matte feel and produces a deeper, more satisfying “thock” sound when typing.
• The Cons: PBT is more expensive and difficult to manufacture. The colors are often slightly more muted or pastel compared to ABS, and the legends can sometimes look less perfectly crisp.

Verdict: For 90% of users, upgrading to a thick set of PBT keycaps is the best choice for long-term typing feel and sound.

Keycap Profiles Explained

The “profile” of a keycap refers to its shape, height, and the angle of its top surface. Different profiles drastically change the ergonomics of your keyboard.

Sculpted Profiles (Cherry & OEM)

Sculpted profiles mean that each row of the keyboard has a slightly different height and angle, creating a curve that naturally hugs your fingers.

• OEM Profile: This is the standard profile found on almost all pre-built mechanical keyboards. It is tall, sculpted, and familiar to most typists.
• Cherry Profile: The most popular profile in the custom keyboard community. It is similar to OEM but slightly shorter, making it incredibly comfortable for both gaming and long typing sessions without needing a wrist rest.

Uniform Profiles (XDA & DSA)

Uniform profiles mean that every single keycap on the board is exactly the same height and shape, regardless of what row it is on.

• XDA Profile: A medium-height, flat profile with a wide surface area. Because every key is the same shape, XDA sets are great for custom layouts, but they can take a few days to get used to if you are a touch-typist.
• DSA Profile: Similar to XDA, but much shorter and with a slightly more spherical indent on the top for your fingers to rest in.

Tall & Vintage Profiles (SA & MT3)

• SA Profile: A very tall, highly sculpted profile that looks like it belongs on a vintage typewriter. They produce an incredibly deep, booming sound, but almost always require a wrist rest to use comfortably.

Double-Shot vs. Dye-Sublimation: How Legends are Printed

How the letters (legends) are put onto the keycap is just as important as the plastic itself. Cheap keyboards use pad-printing or laser-etching, which fades and rubs off over time. You should only buy keycaps that use one of these two premium methods:

Double-Shot Injection

Double-shot keycaps are made by molding two separate pieces of plastic together. The outer shell is one color, and the inner plastic (which forms the actual letter) is another color.

• Why it’s great: The legend is literally part of the physical plastic structure. It is physically impossible for a double-shot legend to ever fade or rub off, no matter how many years you type on it. This is also the only way to get “shine-through” keycaps for RGB lighting.

Dye-Sublimation (Dye-Sub)

Dye-sublimation uses extreme heat to sink ink deep into the pores of PBT plastic.

• Why it’s great: Because the ink is baked into the plastic rather than sitting on top of it, dye-sub legends will never fade or wear off under normal use. This method allows for incredibly complex designs, novelty art, and multiple colors on a single keycap.

Compatibility: Will These Keycaps Fit My Keyboard?

Before you buy a set of custom keycaps, you must verify two things:

1. Switch Stems: Turn your keyboard over and pull off a keycap. Look at the switch underneath. Does it have a plastic stem shaped like a “+” (a cross)? If so, you have Cherry MX-style switches, and 99% of custom keycaps on the market will fit your board. (If you want to upgrade your switches while you upgrade your keycaps, read our guide to Linear Keyboard Switches or Tactile Keyboard Switches).
2. Keyboard Layout: Standard full-size (104-key) and Tenkeyless (TKL / 87-key) boards are easy to fit. However, if you have a 65% or 75% keyboard, you must ensure the keycap set includes the smaller right-shift key and the correct height for the navigation column (Page Up, Page Down). Always check the “kitting” image before buying!

Where to Buy Custom Keycaps

Finding high-quality keycaps can be overwhelming. Here are the best places to buy them right now:

• Amazon: Excellent for budget-friendly PBT sets. Look for brands like Epomaker, Akko, and YMDK. (If you need a budget board to put them on, check out our Best Mechanical Keyboards Under $50 guide).
• Drop (formerly Massdrop): The best place to buy premium enthusiast sets, including the famous MT3 profile and high-end GMK sets.
• Kinetic Labs & Omnitype: Great boutique vendors that sell high-quality, in-stock PBT sets with unique colorways.

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Frequently Asked Questions