Why Not Blank Keycaps

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

Many keyboard nerds prefer keyboard with blank keycaps. That's idiocy.

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Happy Hacking Keyboard 4032ร—3024 (photo by Rezii 2021-06-07)

Das Keyboard is the first to began the blank fad since 2010.

Blank Keycaps is No Good

Blank keycaps forces you learn touch-type, because you can't see which key does what, you have to put hands in touch-type position and use muscle memory to type.

Problem with blank keycaps is that it is hard to use the keyboard casually, because there is no distinguishing mark on the keys. You must put your hands in touch-type position.

Once you know how to touch-type, keyboard with no mark on keys is annoying.

If you do any design of layout, or change keybinding, key label helps a lot. What exactly is printed on them doesn't matter, but something, that can help distinguish one cell from a array of cells. (for example, design key layout or keybinding layout in emacs, that supports QWERTY, Dvorak, Colemak, etc.)

Advantage with Key Labels

arrows keyboard NZTw2 2-s1000
arrows keyboard [2022-05-21 image source https://imgur.com/gallery/UZWX3vA]

Key Label