Dye-Sub vs. Double-Shot Keycaps – Which one out of the 2 is The Best For You

Dye-Sub vs. Double-Shot, which one is better?

Because keycaps are what we directly feel and see while using a keyboard…

…keycap personalization is possibly the most common technique of personalizing a keyboard.

The printing technique used for the characters on a keycap, like the shape…

…size, and material of the keycap, is an important aspect of keycap customisation.

Because each printing approach has its own set of advantages and disadvantages…

…selecting the printing technique for your keycaps is an important decision.

Dye-sub and double-shot printing processes are the two that stand out in the world of keyboard customizing.

In comparison to other generally available processes such as pad printing or laser printing…

…both technologies create higher-quality prints.

The question then becomes how dye-sub and double-shot keycaps differ from one another…

…which is the subject of our discussion today.

Dye sublimation is a method of imprinting dye into a keycap, causing it to become one…

…with the plastic rather than forming a layer. Double-shot keycaps, on the other hand…

..are made by mixing two pieces of plastic: one for the legend and one for the rest of the keycap.

Due to the restrictions of dye sublimation, double-shot keycaps are the preferable option between the two…

…but they also come with a large price tag.

Let’s look at the distinctions between dye-sub and double-shot keycaps in more depth.

Because there are several elements that distinguish the two, such as the printing technologies used…

…the available colors, the appearance of the print, and many more…

…understanding everything about them will help you make a better decision.

This is what Elsa said…

I’m a novice player, and I’m perplexed since I assumed there was just one sort of keyboard.

However, your eyes will be opened once you enter the game world.

Dye-sub printing is a digital printing technology using full color artwork that works with polyester and polymer-coated substrates. Also referred to as digital sublimation, the process is commonly used for decorating apparel, signs and banners, as well as novelty items such as cell phone covers, plaques, coffee mugs, and other items with sublimation-friendly surfaces.

Dye-sub according to Wikipedia

Differences Between Dye-Sub and Double-Shot Keycaps

Despite the fact that these are the two most popular keycap printing procedures among keyboard aficionados…

…they are nearly indistinguishable in almost every manner. Dye-sub keycaps, as previously stated…

…are manufactured by imprinting the legends into the keycap using extremely high temperatures…

…whereas double-shot keycaps are made by molding two different pieces of plastic together.

There are a few areas where dye-sub keycaps and double-shot keycaps operate…

…differently due to the differences in printing processes.

While both procedures are highly resistant to legends fading, dye-sub keycaps can ultimately exhibit…

…indications of wear and tear, whereas double-shot keycaps are virtually impenetrable to it.

The legend of a double-shot keycap is sharper than the legend of a dye-sub keycap because it is made…

…of solid plastic. While this isn’t always a problem with dye-sub keycaps…

…low-quality dye-sub keycaps may have fuzzy-looking lettering.

The legend’s color must be deeper than the keycap’s due to the dye sublimation technique’s limitations.

The color palette of double-shot keycaps, on the other hand, is unrestricted.

While dye-sub keycaps can be made in any color, double-shot keycaps have a limited color palette.

Different types of plastic (such as ABS and PBT) can be used to make double-shot keycaps…

…however PBT is the only option for dye-sub keycaps.

Dye-Sub (Dye Sublimation) Keycaps

Despite the fact that dye sublimation is one of the greatest keycap printing technologies…

…(second only to double-shot), dye-sub keycaps are now only seen in enthusiast-grade keyboards.

In the 1980s, dye-sublimation was one of the most common keycap printing techniques; however, in the 1990s…

//it was superseded by a less expensive (and less effective) approach known as pad printing.

In a word, the dye sublimation technique involves printing the legend on special paper…

…and then using high temperatures to fuse it to the keycap.

Dye-sub keycaps are resistant to wear and tear thanks to this technology…

…making it nearly difficult for the legends to fade away with time.

However, dye-sublimation only works with PBT keycaps because to the restrictions of the technique…

…removing your option to use an alternative material.

Finally, the dye sublimation technique necessitates that the keycap color be lighter than the legend color…

…which is an important consideration.

Dye sublimation keypads on Work RIft…

Check Price on Work Rift

Double-Shot Keycaps

Despite the fact that double-shot injection was the normal printing procedure in the 1970s…

…double-shot keycaps are objectively the best keycaps available.

They are only found in enthusiast-grade keyboards nowadays.

As you might expect, the reason for their replacement is cost rather than the superiority of newer technology…

…as this 50-year-old approach outperforms everything else on the market right now.

The double-shot injection molding process is intriguing, especially as it predates dye-sublimation and pad printing.

To begin, the keycap is made in such a way that the legend spot is left blank.

The legend is then injected into the keycap’s vacant region, thus joining two pieces of plastic to complete the procedure.

This method eliminates the requirement for external printing on the keycap, as well as all of the drawbacks…

…that come with it, such as fading (pad printing) and limited color palette selections (dye-sub).

Aside from the cost, one downside of double-shot keycaps is that they can only have two colors.

Triple-shotting would be required for three different colors, making the procedure much more expensive.

Sum Up

While both dye-sub and double-shot keycaps are unquestionably superior than their alternatives…

…dye-sub keycaps’ restrictions allow double-shot keycaps to win this competition.

If you want the best keycaps money can buy, or if you want a lot of color and plastic options…

…double-shot keycaps are the way to go.

Dye-sub keycaps, on the other hand, will serve you well for a long time if you don’t want the advantages that…

…come with double-shot keycaps, such as color versatility and the opportunity to choose the material of your keycap..

Conclusion

And, that is all for how to choose your keyboard gaming

How do you choose your keyboard?

Let us know your experience on the comment section!

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