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Keycap profiles overview: What you should know before buying one?

There are many keycap profiles and each one has its advantages and disadvantages, so, how to know what is the keycap profiles that suits you best? Check out the following article!

>> Read more: Keycap profiles for newbies

Before choosing the keycaps profiles that suits your need, it’s necessary to know that keycap profiles have different shape and height.

Keycaps profiles: Flat vs. Sculpted

Some keycap sets will be termed sculptured, with various profiles for different rows on keyboards, whilst others may have the same profile for every row. This is all up to personal choice, and what you like in keycaps may differ from what someone else loves. For example, at Epomaker, we offered new keycap sets on our new GK96S, which has a more ergonomically contoured set, while our EP84 has a flat profile set.

Two versions of GK96: The right-handed version and the southpaw version

Profiles with a high vs. a low profile

When it comes to keycap height, it can also vary depending on the keycap. Akko’s ASA Profile, for example, is meant to be taller for those who want a taller keycap set; these keycaps are made to stand out on your desk and truly make your keycaps the focal point of your setup. The ASA profile also appears to have a more antique feel and a distinct keycap press sound.

Lower profiles, such like Cherry profile and OEM, are intended to keep the profile of the keycap set considerably lower, allowing you to have your wrists closer to the desk. OEM is what is usually found on normal prebuilts you could perhaps find in the store, so you could consider going with Cherry or OEM if you’d like a familiar feeling of your keyboard.

Akko Carbon Retro Keycaps on the GK61 Wooden Kit 

Keycaps and layout

When opting to buy keycaps, there are numerous variables to consider, such as the layout of your keyboard. The amount of keycaps on your keyboard generally defines the layout. Our GK68XS, for example, is a 65 percent keyboard, whereas our GK96XS is a 96 percent keyboard. Other variables to think about are the size of your keycaps. When we are measuring keycaps, we utilize a 1U keycap (such as the “W” key) to measure the other keycap sizes. A 2U keycap set, for example, will be twice the size of a 1U keycap set, thus it is proportionate.

Some of our keyboards, such as the GK68XS, feature 1.75U left shift keycaps, but others, such as the GK68XS, may have alternative size, such as a 2.75U. (see above). You must ensure that you understand your size before buying keycaps. We have guides on our website that show the various sizes of keycap sets.

Fortunately, when you purchase one of our Akko sets, you will see that it includes virtually everything you need to get started with your keyboard. However, please double-check the size of your keycaps because every keyboard is different.

GK96S Keycaps Layout Map
GK96LS Left-handed Keycap Map

Summary

Finally, we started looking at the various keycap kinds. Flat profile keycaps are intended to provide a consistent typing experience because each keycap is the same size. A sculptured keycap set features variations in the height and form of the keycaps. High profile keycaps are tall keycaps that are typically used to give keyboards a vintage appearance, whereas low profile allows your wrists to be closer to your workstation, which is beneficial when you are not using anything like a wrist rest.

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