Keyboard Painting: A Simple DIY Guide
Want to liven up your workstation but are tired of the black keyboard style from the 1990s?
It’s shockingly simple (and enjoyable) to paint your keyboard, and you can create EXACTLY the style you want!
What To Prepare?
- Select your colors and designs.
- Buy keyboard paint and some other supplies.
- Take apart your keyboard and remove the keycaps (Optional)
- Sand the painted area (Optional)
- Paint the area with many coats—probably using spray paint.
- Use a clear sealer to coat.
But take caution…
You should be aware of several potential problems if you want your keyboard to work properly and look nice.
Are You Able to Paint A Keyboard? Or Ought You To?
Yes, you can paint pretty much any keyboard (mechanical or otherwise), but there are a few important factors to take into account.
First off, you’ll probably void your keyboard’s warranty.
Second, you should take certain safety measures to make sure the keyboard keeps working (such using the right kind of keyboard paint, taking the keyboard apart, covering the portions you don’t want to paint, etc.).
However, once you get going, painting a keyboard is surprisingly simple and can be a lot of fun!
What Kind of Paint Works Best for Keyboards?
There are a few choices, however you need first determine the type of material your keyboard is made of (plastic or aluminum?). Using multi-surface acrylic paint is an option if you’d rather paint by hand.
But the best technique to apply a nice, even layer to your keyboard is with spray paint!
As long as you apply priming or a “paint and primer” mixture beforehand, it’s quick, simple, inexpensive, and tends to stay well.
These are also offered separately on Amazon or at your neighborhood craft shop.
Any brand of spray paint that refers to the material of your keyboard or says “multi-surface” should be acceptable!
I suggest one of the following finishes:
Matte: a more grainy appearance that adheres nicely
Smoother and marginally more durable than glossy, satin
I do not suggest flat or high-gloss surfaces.
To seal in the color, you need also have a clear coat sealer (finisher, clear varnish, etc.).
Step-by-Step Instructions for Painting Your Keyboard
We’ll be spray painting a mechanical keyboard for the sake of this tutorial, but I’ve also included some notes below in case you want to modify a standard membrane keyboard.
Step 1: Choose the appropriate paint (depending on the type of keyboard you have).
The majority of keyboards are made of plastic (at least the casing is), but some may be made of aluminum or another material. Check the substance of your keyboard case to ensure that your paint will adhere!
The keycaps, which are the detachable keys that your fingertips touch, are nearly always made of plastic if you plan to paint them.
How to paint keycaps is described below.
Step 2: Take your keycaps off
Remove the keycaps with care using a keycap puller, then put them away.
Never paint your keycaps while they are on the keyboard, not even for fun! Paint on the underlying PCB, circuits, etc. is NOT what you want.
To avoid having to look up which keys belong where, you may take a picture of your keyboard PRIOR to removing the keycaps.
Step 3: Disassemble your keyboard if you choose
Depending on how you’re painting your keyboard, this step may be different.
If your keyboard is a mechanical one, you should take it apart.
Although the procedure varies from keyboard to keyboard, it generally goes like this:
- Delete the keycaps
- Turn off switches
- Take off the screws (often four or six) securing your plate or PCB to the case’s bottom
- Remove the PCB from the case’s bottom (in some cases, a wire needs to be cut from the USB outlet)
- The PCB and plate combination should be removed with care
Although you could just cover the internal components of your keyboard with tape, I don’t advise it!
Spray paint frequently finds its way into even carefully sealed areas.
Additionally, if paint enters the PCB (circuit board) of your keyboard, it might malfunction or develop sticky keys.
If you’re painting a “normal” keyboard, that is, a keyboard that is not mechanical:
You can probably just cover the internal components of the keyboard with tape after removing the keycaps (with a keycap extractor or a gentle screwdriver).
Even so, it’s probably less reckless than a mechanical keyboard. Normal keyboards are often more difficult to disassemble, thus some individuals choose to hand-paint them rather than spray-paint them.
One more piece of advice: keep track of any components you remove!
Pick up some bowls to use as a screwdriver, etc. You want to avoid losing anything!
Other items you might remove from your keyboard case include:
- If your keyboard has any, the bottom rubber feet
- The keyboard’s “angle adjustment” components
- Remove any screws from the case’s outside
- Anything else electronic, including wires, circuits, and other removable components
Step 4: Areas You Don’t Want Painted Should Be Tape Off
Place tape over any places that shouldn’t be painted using painter’s tape (I like frog tape).
These territories may consist of:
- Your keyboard’s rubber feet (which you can also remove)!
- Internal USB interface
- Any cords or wires can be covered with tape.
- Any tiny screws or holes where paint can get stuck, etc.
Tape may also be used to create beautiful patterns!
You may tape the top half of the case to give it a multicolored appearance or use small lines of tape to make stripes.
Step 5: Locate a Good Location for Painting
Simply lay newspaper below your working area if you’re hand-painting with acrylic paint.
You should absolutely work outside if you’re spray painting your keyboard.
You could also take the weather into account:
- Spray painting might be more difficult on windy days
- Of course, don’t spray paint if it’s raining or snowing
- You should plan for extended dry periods if the temperature is REALLY hot (80 degrees F or above)
- My own preference is to spray paint outside while placing my keyboard on an old bucket (that I don’t mind getting paint on)
Step 6: Use Sandpaper to Abrade the Surface (Optional)
Rough up the surface of the painting with medium-grit sandpaper (300 or 400).
Long-term, this will improve the adhesion of the paint and primer and produce a smoother surface.
You can also “wet sand,” which entails sanding after spraying a little water on the surface.
I typically just use dry sanding with 400 grit sandpaper since I personally haven’t noticed much of a difference between wet and dry sanding.
Step 7: Use Sandpaper to Abrade the Surface (Optional)
Rough up the surface of the painting with medium-grit sandpaper (300 or 400).
Long-term, this will improve the adhesion of the paint and primer and produce a smoother surface.
You can also “wet sand,” which entails sanding after spraying a little water on the surface.
I typically just use dry sanding with 400 grit sandpaper since I personally haven’t noticed much of a difference between wet and dry sanding.
Step 8: Use Sandpaper to Abrade the Surface (Optional)
Rough up the surface of the painting with medium-grit sandpaper (300 or 400).
Long-term, this will improve the adhesion of the paint and primer and produce a smoother surface.
You can also “wet sand,” which entails sanding after spraying a little water on the surface.
I typically just use dry sanding with 400 grit sandpaper since I personally haven’t noticed much of a difference between wet and dry sanding.
Step 9: Paint in a few light coats
Your objective should be to softly sand between each of numerous lighter applications of spray paint.
Since 4 or 5 coats will definitely appear nicer and be smoother and more uniform, you could probably get away with as few as 2 or 3 coats.
Here are some pointers for spray painting:
- The spray paint should be angled at around a 45-degree angle, but you’ll definitely need to adjust it somewhat
- Keep the can about 12 inches away from the keyboard’s surface
- Make sure your arm is moving evenly and smoothly
- Just as you raise your arm, start spraying
- CHOOSE LIGHT COATS!
You can heavily sand the paint (removing stains, flaws, etc.) between applications by applying many light coats.
Step 10: Allow drying to finish
Even while your paint might advise waiting as short as 15 to 30 minutes before adding another coat, I suggest waiting even longer!
You DO NOT want a sticky keyboard as it will be on your desk and will be used on a daily basis.
Allow each coach’s paint to cure for at least an hour.
Step 11: Sand the keyboard very lightly after each application of paint
After each layer of paint has fully dried, lightly sand it down with 500-1,000 grit paper.
Sanding achieves a few goals:
- The finish will be significantly smoother as a result.
- Sanding will eliminate any paint drips or splotches.
Again, you have a choice between dry and wet sand.
Use a higher grit sandpaper, just be careful not to unintentionally damage the paint.
Step 12: To protect the paint, use a clear top coat
Apply many layers of a clear varnish or other clear finish over the paint.
I advise using at least two to three coats of clear top finisher!
This will make the surface smoother and less sticky and guard against paint fading as well as tiny scratches on the keyboard.
You should continue using the same finish as you did with the paint.
Satin, semi-gloss, or maybe matte.
Ensure that the clear top coat dries completely in between each coat.
FAQs for Keyboard Paint
Can I paint the keyboard on my laptop?
Although it is technically possible to paint a laptop keyboard in a number of ways, doing so is not advised. The warranty on your PC will probably be invalidated first. Second, because it’s hard to disassemble a laptop, you must be extremely meticulous and thorough when tape off undesired places, such as those between and beneath keycaps. This is incredibly challenging, and spray paint still could go up somewhere it shouldn’t! Keys may become stuck as a result, or worse. Acrylic paint may also be used to hand-paint your laptop keyboard, although doing so has the same drawbacks.
Are you able to color a keyboard?
The answer is undoubtedly yes; you can paint your keyboard a different color. Acrylic paint can be applied by hand or using a sprayer. To prevent damaging your keyboard or making it harder to type on, there are a few measures you should take.
How can I make my keyboard seem nicer?
There are many creative methods to personalize a keyboard, such as painting the case (which requires more effort), painting the keycaps, or even getting amusing stickers to attach on the cover or keycaps.
Visit our website https://keycapscustom.com/ to looking for the type of keycaps that fits your keyboard. Here you can also find out our newest collection of keycaps such as Artisan keycaps, Anime keycaps, Pokemon keycaps, Backlit keycaps, etc.
