<s>
A	O
keycap	B-Device
is	O
a	O
small	O
cover	O
of	O
plastic	O
,	O
metal	O
,	O
or	O
other	O
material	O
placed	O
over	O
the	O
keyswitch	O
of	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
keyboard	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keycaps	B-Device
are	O
often	O
illustrated	O
to	O
indicate	O
the	O
key	O
function	O
or	O
alphanumeric	O
character	O
they	O
correspond	O
to	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
keyboards	B-Device
were	O
manufactured	O
with	O
the	O
keyswitch	O
and	O
keycap	B-Device
integrated	O
in	O
one	O
unit	O
;	O
keycaps	B-Device
separate	O
from	O
the	O
switch	O
were	O
introduced	O
to	O
facilitate	O
the	O
production	O
of	O
different	O
keyboard	B-Device
layouts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Typical	O
keycaps	B-Device
in	O
the	O
1970s	O
and	O
1980s	O
were	O
produced	O
using	O
two-shot	O
molding	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
markings	O
molded	O
into	O
each	O
keycap	B-Device
in	O
a	O
different	O
color	O
of	O
plastic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
eventually	O
fell	O
out	O
of	O
favor	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
more	O
expensive	O
(	O
particularly	O
in	O
tooling	O
costs	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
tended	O
to	O
produce	O
keycaps	B-Device
more	O
durable	O
than	O
the	O
equipment	O
on	O
which	O
they	O
were	O
mounted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Modern	O
keycaps	B-Device
are	O
usually	O
labelled	O
by	O
stamping	O
or	O
laser	O
engraving	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
two-shot	O
molding	O
(	O
"	O
doubleshot	O
"	O
)	O
keycaps	B-Device
are	O
still	O
available	O
today	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
feel	O
and	O
general	O
durability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keycaps	B-Device
can	O
be	O
bought	O
in	O
replacement	O
sets	O
for	O
a	O
keyboard	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Notably	O
,	O
replacement	O
sets	O
are	O
frequently	O
sold	O
for	O
keyboards	B-Device
that	O
use	O
Cherry	O
MX-style	O
stems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Custom	O
sets	O
are	O
bought	O
and	O
sold	O
within	O
the	O
enthusiast	O
communities	O
,	O
and	O
artisan	O
keycaps	B-Device
can	O
be	O
purchased	O
individually	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keycaps	B-Device
are	O
sold	O
in	O
printed	O
and	O
unprinted	O
varieties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
unprinted	O
variety	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Blank	O
Keycaps	B-Device
,	O
"	O
is	O
said	O
to	O
promote	O
touch	O
typing	O
and	O
help	O
build	O
muscle	O
memory	O
because	O
the	O
user	O
is	O
forced	O
to	O
rely	O
on	O
motion	O
rather	O
than	O
visuals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
anime	O
design	O
,	O
bi-color	O
design	O
,	O
game-based	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
custom	O
keycap	B-Device
as	O
you	O
wish	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
within	O
the	O
modern	O
mechanical	O
keyboard	B-Device
community	O
,	O
unprinted	O
caps	O
are	O
typically	O
chosen	O
for	O
their	O
visual	O
appeal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
top	O
of	O
most	O
keycaps	B-Device
may	O
be	O
described	O
as	O
cylinder-shaped	O
(	O
curving	O
to	O
the	O
sides	O
as	O
if	O
a	O
fat	O
cylinder	O
was	O
resting	O
on	O
it	O
)	O
,	O
flat	O
or	O
spherical	O
(	O
curving	O
to	O
the	O
top	O
,	O
bottom	O
and	O
sides	O
as	O
if	O
a	O
large	O
sphere	O
was	O
resting	O
on	O
it	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
modern	O
preference	O
is	O
for	O
cylinder-shaped	O
keycaps	B-Device
rather	O
than	O
spherical	O
ones	O
,	O
but	O
laptop	O
keys	O
are	O
often	O
flat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keycaps	B-Device
materials	O
vary	O
among	O
the	O
brands	O
and	O
provide	O
different	O
feels	O
,	O
durability	O
,	O
damage	O
resistance	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
properties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Material	O
Description	O
ABS	O
This	O
is	O
commonly	O
used	O
for	O
keyboard	B-Device
casings	O
and	O
keys	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Topre	O
casings	O
are	O
made	O
of	O
ABS	O
and	O
IBM	B-Device
Model	I-Device
Ms	I-Device
are	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Filco	O
and	O
Das	O
keys	O
are	O
made	O
of	O
ABS	O
as	O
are	O
most	O
keys	O
that	O
ship	O
with	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
purchased	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Lego	B-Language
is	O
made	O
of	O
ABS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
downside	O
is	O
the	O
brittle	O
nature	O
of	O
PBT	O
and	O
expense	O
,	O
so	O
most	O
keyboard	B-Device
manufacturers	O
do	O
not	O
use	O
this	O
for	O
either	O
keyboard	B-Device
cases	O
or	O
keys	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Found	O
use	O
in	O
older	O
black	O
Cherry	O
G80	O
keycaps	B-Device
and	O
the	O
discontinued	O
Nopoo	O
Chocolate	O
keyboards	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keycool	O
used	O
to	O
use	O
with	O
their	O
keyboards	B-Device
but	O
is	O
now	O
phasing	O
it	O
out	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Printing	O
of	O
numbers	O
,	O
letters	O
,	O
and	O
symbols	O
on	O
the	O
keycaps	B-Device
is	O
done	O
using	O
pad	O
printing	O
,	O
laser	O
etching	O
,	O
or	O
dye	O
sublimation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Laser	O
etching	O
A	O
strong	O
laser	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
print	O
characters	O
onto	O
keycaps	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Double	O
shot	O
The	O
most	O
expensive	O
and	O
durable	O
process	O
:	O
each	O
outer	O
keycap	B-Device
has	O
its	O
legend	O
physically	O
moulded	O
into	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
legend	O
is	O
then	O
created	O
by	O
injecting	O
a	O
different	O
piece	O
of	O
plastic	O
into	O
the	O
keycap	B-Device
from	O
the	O
inside	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
means	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
chance	O
of	O
the	O
legend	O
ever	O
fading	O
or	O
getting	O
removed	O
,	O
even	O
as	O
the	O
keycap	B-Device
wears	O
down	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
keyboard	B-Device
profile	O
refers	O
to	O
the	O
profile	O
shapes	O
of	O
each	O
row	O
of	O
keycaps	B-Device
.	O
</s>
