{"id":57450,"date":"2021-09-15T21:01:48","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T13:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=57450"},"modified":"2021-09-13T19:21:57","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T11:21:57","slug":"mechanical-keyboard-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What is a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboards-to-buy\/\" rel=\"noopener\">mechanical keyboard<\/a> and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are soft, some are nice to the touch, some are quiet, and maybe the one you\u2019re using is just the right one for you because you\u2019ve gotten used to it.<\/p>\n<p>But if your keyboard is just an off-the-shelf you bought along with your workstation, most likely it feels a little bit clunky, like the keys will be blown off anytime, and that it\u2019s a bit stiff to the touch \u2014 in which case, you\u2019ll enter an entirely new realm with mechanical keyboards.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboards-to-buy\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: 20 Best Cheap Mechanical Keyboards \" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">20 Best Cheap Mechanical Keyboards <\/span><\/a>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img='{ \"src\" : \"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/mechanical-keyboards-to-buy.jpg\" }'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n<style>.no-js #ref-block-post-37924 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/mechanical-keyboards-to-buy.jpg\"); }<\/style>\n<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">20 Best Cheap Mechanical Keyboards <\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMechanical keyboards are in general, much better in terms of quality compared to standard membrane PC keyboards. They...\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>After reading this article you will learn the difference between regular keyboards and mechanical ones, and how the mechanical keyboards differ from each other based on the brand, materials used, the method how the keycaps are made, and what\u2019s inside each of the keycaps \u2014 all put together can contribute to your <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/faster-keyboard-typing\/\" rel=\"noopener\">overall typing experience<\/a>, whether you will use it for <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/gaming-devices-for-pc-gamers\/\" rel=\"noopener\">work or gaming<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Shall we?<\/p>\n<h3>Shortcuts to:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#keybaord-evolution\"><strong>Evolution of Keyboards<\/strong><\/a> <em>(Membrane, dome-switch, mechanicals)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#keyboard-anatomy\"><strong>Anatomy of a Keyboard<\/strong><\/a> <em>(TKL, 87 keys, Double Shot, etc)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#keyboard-layout\"><strong>Mechanical Keyboard Layouts<\/strong><\/a> <em>(ISO and ANSI)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#keyboard-sizes\"><strong>Mechanical Keyboard Sizes<\/strong><\/a> <em>(100%, TKL, 75%, etc)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#keyboard-switches\"><strong>Mechanical Keyboard Switches<\/strong><\/a> <em>(Switch parts and switch types)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#keyboard-keycaps\"><strong>Mechanical Keyboard Keycaps<\/strong><\/a> <em>(Keycap profiles, materials, production method and abbreviations)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"keybaord-evolution\">Evolution of Keyboards (Membrane to Hybrid to Mechanical)<\/h2>\n<p>In order to understand what mechanical keyboards are, it is important to first make the contrast between regular keyboards that you see and use today versus mechanical keyboards.<\/p>\n<p>In the most basic sense, around 90% of the keyboards in the market today are either <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/deskthority.net\/wiki\/Membrane_keyboard\">membrane<\/a> or <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.en-touch.com\/pros-and-cons-of-dome-switch-keyboards\/\">dome-switch keyboards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Membrane keyboards<\/h3>\n<p>For membrane keyboards, these are made of one huge plastic sheet that has domes that presses the circuits when the keys on top of them are pushed down \u2013 and because of the material\u2019s natural inclination to return to its original form, once you lift your fingers off the key caps, the plastic dome will push the keys back up.<\/p>\n<p>If you open the keyboard, there will be one huge membrane of plastic covering the entire circuitry as pictured below.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg\" width=\"4000\" height=\"3000\" alt=\"Inside of a membrane keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Membrane_keyboard#\/media\/File:Inside_Computer_keyboard.jpg\">Wikipedia<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<h3>Dome-switch keyboards<\/h3>\n<p>As for dome-switch keyboards, they are hybrids of membrane keyboards and switches. Basically, think of the same setup, but this time it has switches below the membrane that provides a nice clicking noise and tactile feedback \u2013 signaling that the keypress was registered. See photo below:<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/dome-switch-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"2088\" height=\"1566\" alt=\"Inside of a dome-switch keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mechanical-keyboard.org\/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-mechanical-keyboards\/\">MechanicalKeyboard.org<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p>As you can see, there is still a dome (black), but it also has a scissor switch mechanism for tactile feedback. Think of it as the next evolution of membrane keyboards.<\/p>\n<p>Now, what about mechanical keyboards?<\/p>\n<h3>Mechanical keyboards<\/h3>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1001\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Razer-BlackWidow-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard\/dp\/B08FQPLCNC\/\/\">Razer<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p>Unlike the examples I mentioned above, mechanical keyboards don\u2019t rely on one entire sheet or membrane to operate. Instead, mechanical keyboards rely on an individual mechanism under each key, with some sort of spring that pushes the keys back up.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ll look closely on the image above, you\u2019ll see that under each keycap is its own mechanism.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the type of keyboard, it provides a tactile response and a clicking sound, or smooth and linear response. And depending on the keys, the mechanism might also change.<\/p>\n<p>I know that there\u2019s a lot of pieces here, but I will endeavor to explain everything as clearly as I can, and hopefully by the end of this article you\u2019ll find the perfect keyboard for you, just as I am currently looking for one.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"keyboard-anatomy\">Anatomy of a Keyboard<\/h2>\n<p>As I mentioned above, there are a lot of moving pieces in a keyboard, and depending on the maker or profile, the labeling, size, layout, parts, and others might differ.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=mechanical+keyboard\">search for keyboards on Amazon<\/a>, you might be greeted with a result that says the following:<\/p>\n<p><code>TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - 87 Keys - Double Shot PBT - NKRO - USB Type C (Cherry Brown, White)<\/code><\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-terminologies.jpg\" width=\"1047\" height=\"569\" alt=\"Terminologies used on titles for mechanical keyboards\"><\/figure>\n<p>Here are more examples of what you\u2019ll probably end up seeing if you search on Amazon or any other marketplace. There are some slight variations but you\u2019ll get the general idea soon enough. Basically, the brand name is usually followed by the keyboard\u2019s version (GK61, K320, etc.)<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/amazon-keyboard-search.jpg\" width=\"997\" height=\"654\" alt=\"Amazon mechanical keyboard search results\"><\/figure>\n<p>This might not make sense to you, if you\u2019re new to keyboards. But every bit of this headline has a meaning, which we\u2019ll explore together below. But to give you a quick overview.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the breakdown:<\/p>\n<h3>TKL<\/h3>\n<p>Refers to Ten Key-Less, which is just a fancy way of saying that the keyboard doesn\u2019t have a numpad to the right.<\/p>\n<h3>87 Keys<\/h3>\n<p>Is pretty much self-explanatory in a sense that it is composed of 87 keys.<\/p>\n<h3>Double Shot<\/h3>\n<p>Refers to the production method of casting the key caps. Many people prefer this because the letters and numbers will never ever fade because they are casted along the key caps.<\/p>\n<p>They are not printed on top of the keys, but instead two materials are molded together to make the entire key and legends. So, if you cut the key caps in half, you will see that the legends are actually embedded in it.<\/p>\n<h3>PBT<\/h3>\n<p>PBT or Polybutylene Terephthalate is the material used to cast the key caps. Many people prefer this because the legends are clearer and they do not become shiny over time.<\/p>\n<h3>NKRO<\/h3>\n<p>NKRO means N-Key Roll Over. The N here refers to the number of keys pressed. In the most simplest terms, NKRO means a keyboard can process each keystroke individually, and several of them at a time.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re familiar with old keyboards from the early 2000s, maybe even 2010s, most keyboards would freeze if you pressed more than 4-6 keys at a time. This is particularly stressful for gamers who use multiple keys (plus the mouse keys) during gameplays.<\/p>\n<h3>USB Type C<\/h3>\n<p>USB Type C refers to the connection type to your laptop or desktop computer. When buying a keyboard, make sure that the connection type matches with your laptop or desktop.<\/p>\n<h3>Cherry<\/h3>\n<p>Cherry refers to a company\/brand that produces switches for keyboards. Mechanical keyboard makers and enthusiasts have hailed it as a standard for switches, so it\u2019s important that you know about this ahead of time.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Brown, White\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Usually comes together with \u201cCherry Brown\u201d or \u201cCherry White\u201d or \u201cCherry MX {color}\u201d. This refers to the different types of switches, with each having a different \u201cfeel\u201d. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Red and Black<\/strong> are linear, meaning they glide easily and are quiet, without the clicking sound nor feeling<\/li>\n<li><strong>Black<\/strong> is stiff, meaning you have to press harder<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brown<\/strong> is soft and tactile, meaning you can easily press it and a physical feedback will be felt<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blue<\/strong> gives more \u201cclick\u201d sound and is softer<\/li>\n<li><strong>White<\/strong> is somewhat stiff, with soft clicking sound, and is tactile<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-switch-colors.jpg\" width=\"631\" height=\"454\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard cherry colors\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/MechanicalKeyboards\/wiki\/switch_guides\">\/r\/mechanicalkeyboards<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p>There are also a bunch of other colors like Green, Grey, Clear, Silver, Dark Grey, etc., each with some bit of differences.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, that was a load of information but I hope you are still hanging around, because we\u2019re just halfway!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"keyboard-layout\">Mechanical Keyboard Layouts<\/h2>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/keyboard-ansi-iso.jpg\" width=\"1486\" height=\"908\" alt=\"ANSI versus ISO keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p>For now, let\u2019s talk about the layouts of keyboards. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen the difference before but you really can\u2019t quite put your finger on it.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, there are two main keyboard layouts. <strong>ANSI<\/strong> and <strong>ISO<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the simplest terms, if the left shift key is short, the same size as the rest of the letter keys, it is ISO. If it\u2019s long, it is ANSI. The return key for ANSI is rectangular, while ISO is L-shaped.<\/p>\n<p>For many gamers and writers like myself, we prefer ANSI because of how often the left shift key is used. But maybe that\u2019s just me?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"keyboard-sizes\">Mechanical Keyboard Sizes<\/h2>\n<p>Depending on your needs, there are several keyboard sizes that can help you achieve your goals. Whether it\u2019s for office work, home office setup where minimal space is available, for the always-on-the-go, gaming, accounting, and others \u2013 there\u2019s a keyboard for you.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-sizes.jpg\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1242\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/keyboard.university\/\">Keyboard University<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p>For the sake of brevity, the keyboard size types are divided into 3 types: <strong>Common<\/strong>, <strong>Compact<\/strong>, and <strong>Unconventional<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Common Types <\/h3>\n<p><strong>100% Full Size<\/strong> \u2013 it\u2019s the whole shebang with function keys and numpad<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/100-percent-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1540\" height=\"736\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes 100%\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/RK-ROYAL-KLUDGE-Mechanical-Anti-Ghosting\/dp\/B0813356BD\">Amazon: RK Royal Krudge<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>TKL or Ten Key-Less<\/strong> \u2013 As mentioned above, the main difference is it doesn\u2019t have the numpad. It\u2019s the most common compact keyboard as well.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/TKL-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1563\" height=\"840\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes TKL\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/CORSAIR-K70-RGB-TKL-Key\/dp\/B08W2DY46Q\/\">Amazon: Corsair<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>75%<\/strong> has all the keys except for the numpad, but smaller<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/75-percent-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1322\" height=\"553\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes TKL\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/DREVO-Rainbow-Backlit-Mechanical-Keyboard\/dp\/B07SFLW22Q\/\/\">Amazon: Corsair<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>65%<\/strong> has all the keys as well and is more compact, but still retains the arrow keys<\/p>\n<h3>Unconventional Types <\/h3>\n<p><strong>1800 Layout<\/strong> \u2013 is pretty much Full Size too, but the keys are closer together<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/1800-layout-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1041\" height=\"643\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes 1800 layout\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Drop-Matt3o-Keycap-Full-Size-Keyboards\/dp\/B081DDDK4H\/\">Amazon: Drop<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ten Key Number Pad<\/strong> is literally just the numpad plus other keys that can be used for calculations, so it\u2019s 10+ keys<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/ten-keys-pad.jpg\" width=\"1200\" height=\"918\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes Ten Keys\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Wireless-Portable-Financial-Accounting-Extensions\/dp\/B07RZZMV62\/\">Amazon: Foloda<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>Binary Keyboard<\/strong> is just composed of 2 to 3 keys \u2013 one for 1, and the other for 0. The other one is the return key<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/binary-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1200\" height=\"876\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes binary keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Keypad-Rhythm-Switches-Programmable-Swappable\/dp\/B08WWK2L1N\/\">Amazon: Kraken Keyboards<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>Binary Keyboard<\/strong> is just composed of 2 to 3 keys \u2013 one for 1, and the other for 0. The other one is the return key<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/ortholinear-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1200\" height=\"740\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes ortholinear keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Keycaps-Suitable-Ortholinear-Keyboard-Preonic\/dp\/B07QHRNRGR\/\">Amazon: YMDK Store<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>Binary Keyboard<\/strong> is just composed of 2 to 3 keys \u2013 one for 1, and the other for 0. The other one is the return key<\/p>\n<p><strong>Split keyboards<\/strong> are split in the middle, so you can have a degree of freedom and you can move the split keyboards independently from each other<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/split-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1200\" height=\"824\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes split keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/KINESIS-Gaming-Freestyle-Mechanical-Keyboard\/dp\/B07SW1S3YZ\/\">Amazon: Kinesis Store<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>Macropad<\/strong> keyboards have dedicated and programmable keys for a specific purpose. You can use them as a numpad or set them up for specific shortcuts per key<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/macropad.jpg\" width=\"1200\" height=\"898\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes macropad keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Mechanical-Personalized-Customizable-One-Handed-Programmable\/dp\/B08CSJHDMZ\/\">Amazon: Vaydeer Store<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<h3>Compact Types <\/h3>\n<p><strong>60%<\/strong> doesn\u2019t have dedicated arrow keys and function keys, but are instead integrated with other keys that can be toggled with a key press<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/60-percent-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1191\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes 60 percent keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/RK-ROYAL-KLUDGE-Ultra-Compact-Switch-White\/dp\/B0832CZNS5\/\">Amazon: RK Royal Kludge<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p><strong>40%<\/strong> is the most compact keyboard you can buy, with all the letter keys, but without the function keys\u2019 dedicated section and no arrow keys as well<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/40-percent-keyboard.jpg\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard sizes 40 percent keyboard\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aliexpress.com\/item\/33000982775.html\">Alibaba<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"keyboard-switches\">Mechanical Keyboard Switches<\/h2>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-switch.gif\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard switch - how it works\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/MechanicalKeyboards\/comments\/2gx5pa\/new_cherry_mx_blue_switch_gif_watch_the_mechanics\/\">Lethal Squirrel<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<p>A keyboard switch refers to the components directly under the key caps which determines the look, feel, and clickity clack of the entire keyboard.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that for mechanical keyboards, each key has its own switch, so you can just imagine that there are a lot of moving parts inside.<\/p>\n<h3>Keyboards Switch Parts<\/h3>\n<p>The housing usually has 5 different parts, from top to bottom, explanation as follow:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Top housing and Bottom housing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Top housing and Bottom housing holds all the important part of a switch, it\u2019s where the Stem is connected, a LED slot, and legs for pressing down<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Stem<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stem refers to the centerpiece of a switch. It is what defines if a mechanical keyboard is linear, tactile, or clicky<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Leaf<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Leaf refers to 2 pieces of metals inside a switch. Before you press a key, The leaf (or leaves) are separated by the stem, but once you fully press the key, the two make contact which triggers the circuit board underneath<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Spring<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Depending on the type of spring, you can have a spring that progressively gets harder to push down, a spring that has low resistance, etc.<\/p>\n<p>When looking for switches for your custom mechanical keyboard, you will encounter weights between 45g and 78g \u2013 this refers to how much force of grams you need to use to fully press a key.<\/p>\n<h3>Types of Keyboard Switches<\/h3>\n<p>As for the types of keyboard switches, there are mainly three:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Tactile<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the physical response that you feel when you press a key down \u2013 you will feel a slight bump that means the keypress is successfully registered. It\u2019s perfect for beginners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Linear<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Linear is smooth, consistent feel throughout, and is quiet \u2013 almost silent and is often used in gaming where fast typing is needed \u2013 because you\u2019ll just need to press the key caps slightly<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Clicky<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mostly for typing, office work, those who want to have an audible clickety clack noise when working<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"keyboard-keycaps\">Mechanical Keyboard Keycaps<\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to keycaps, of course there are also several profiles. These determine the general feel and design of the entire mechanical keyboard.<\/p>\n<p>For example, sculpted keycaps mean there is a concave feel at the top of the cap, while uniform profiles are just flat, although they could be angled differently.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-profiles.jpg\" width=\"2374\" height=\"1768\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard profiles\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/MechanicalKeyboards\/comments\/j484j5\/keycap_profiles_i_compiled_a_direct_comparison\/\">\/u\/gtderEvan<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<h3>Keycap Profiles<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>OEM<\/strong> are tall and angled key tops, this is mostly seen on packaged workstations with free accessories (sorry!)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cherry<\/strong> are similar to OEM with the angled key tops, but are shorter<\/li>\n<li><strong>DSA<\/strong> are shorter than OEM but are taller than Cherry, and have a round top<\/li>\n<li><strong>KAM<\/strong> is like DSA, but flatter and shorter<\/li>\n<li><strong>KAT<\/strong> is sculpted and has different angles and height for each row<\/li>\n<li><strong>MT3<\/strong> has a deeper sculpted dish caps that you can feel on your fingertips<\/li>\n<li><strong>SA<\/strong> has a flat top, and is uniform throughout<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Keycap Materials<\/h3>\n<p>Now, depending on the material used to mold the keycaps, you could have an entirely different experience with your keyboard.<\/p>\n<p>There are only two major materials used:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene<\/strong> or ABS<\/li>\n<li><strong>Polybutylene Terephthalate<\/strong> or PBT<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To make things simpler, ABS are cheap and they tend to shine or have a gloss over time. The more you use them, the more shiny the caps become, which gives a grimy feeling or a greasy look.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, PBT are more complicated to make, and are the go-to material of mechanical keyboard enthusiasts just because of the quality and texture.<\/p>\n<h3>Keycap Production Methods<\/h3>\n<p>But of course that\u2019s not all. It\u2019s not all about the material. It\u2019s also about the production method. Here\u2019s a quick list:<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-keycaps-doubleshot-infilled-lasered-padprinted.jpg\" width=\"1200\" height=\"803\" alt=\"Mechanical keyboard molding\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><em>(Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/imgur.com\/a\/kgX1n\">\/u\/Ripster<\/a>)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Double Shot<\/strong> \u2013 as I mentioned above, Double Shot is the production method by which two separate molds are injected into one for the key cap and the legends<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dye-Sublimation<\/strong> \u2013 pretty much similar to Double Shot, except the legends are printed onto the keycap. Compared to others, Double Shot and Dye-Sublimation are more durable<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reverse Dye-Sublimation<\/strong> \u2013 like Dye-Sublimation, except the keycaps are dyed around the legends \u2013 imagine printing something on paper, except the words are white and the background is black<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pad Printing<\/strong> \u2013 the marks are printed on top of the keyboard, and are subject to wear and tear<\/li>\n<li><strong>Laser Etching<\/strong> \u2013 it\u2019s just engraving the legends on the keycaps with laser, much like how many accessories have laser etchings on them<\/li>\n<li><strong>UV Printing<\/strong> \u2013 a type of digital printing that permanently prints legends on the keycaps. It\u2019s a durable printing method that won\u2019t wash or rub off the legends<\/li>\n<li><strong>Infilling<\/strong> simply means the keycap is already molded but the <i>hole<\/i> for the legend is filled with colorant, usually white.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Common abbreviations in keycap sets naming<\/h3>\n<p>Here are some terms that you might encounter when you do further research or when you hop on on Amazon to start shopping.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these have been <a href=\"#keyboard-anatomy\">mentioned above<\/a>, but I added a few more that you are most likely to see.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>WoB<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>White on Black. This means white legends on a black keycap.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>BoW<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Black on White. This means black legends on a white keycap.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>R2<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Round 2. This means the keyset is being run a second time after a successful first run<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>ABS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a type of polymer used to cast casings and keycaps. It is tough but softer than other materials.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>PBT<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Polybutylene Terephthalate, a harder material that is used to mold keycaps. It is currently one of the most prevalent materials used for keycaps and is loved by many.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>ISO<\/strong><\/td>\n<td> and ANSI stand for International Organization for Standardization and  American National Standards Institute respectively. They are organizations that set specific standards for several industries throughout the world.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>POM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Polyoxymethylene is another highly resistant material used in making keycaps. It\u2019s not that common because of the high cost, but it resists a lot of wear and tear. Also known by the brand name \u201cDerlin\u201d.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>PC<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Polycarbonate, usually used for translucent keycaps.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>OEM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Original Equipment Manufacturer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>SA<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>simply means  Spherical All-rows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>DSA<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>DIN-compliant Spherical All-rows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>DSS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>DIN-compliant Spherical Sculptured<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>DCS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>DIN-compliant Cylindrical Sculptured<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>KAT<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Keyreative is the name of a brand and All Touch is their first developed profile for mechanical keyboard, thus KAT stands for Keyreative All Touch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>KAM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>KAM is a brand by Keyreative in collaboration with Zfrontier. I\u2019m not entirely sure what KAM stands for, unlike with KAT.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>MT3<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>MT3 is from Matt3o, which is Matteo Spinelli\u2019s brand. Matteo is a custom mechanical keyboard maker who is a big figure on Reddit and other Mechanical Keyboard communities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>XDA<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>can\u2019t find any sources for what XDA stands for, but it\u2019s a shorter and flatter version of SA and DSA.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>Mechanical keyboards are expensive compared to the ones 99% of people are used to. The cheapest you can find will probably play around $75, and it could easily go to the upper thousands if you customize one yourself.<\/p>\n<p>This is a craft to many mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, and to some it\u2019s their livelihood too. But in either case, once you get your hands on one, you won\u2019t be able to find satisfaction with non-mechanical keyboards anymore. Some even collect mechanical keyboards for fun and satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>I wonder which one you\u2019ll be once you dip your fingers in this world?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a mechanical keyboard and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are soft, some are nice to the touch, some are quiet, and maybe the one you\u2019re using is just the right one for you because you\u2019ve gotten used&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3396],"tags":[368],"topic":[],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.8 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards (2021)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is a mechanical keyboard and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is a mechanical keyboard and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hongkiat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hongkiatcom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-09-15T13:01:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rean\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@hongkiat\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hongkiat\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rean\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rean\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9055cf045c2ed578773e8a4e184ba621\"},\"headline\":\"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-09-15T13:01:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2856,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/assets.hongkiat.com\\\/uploads\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Keyboards \\\/ Mechanical Keyboards\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Gadgets\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/\",\"name\":\"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards (2021)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/assets.hongkiat.com\\\/uploads\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-09-15T13:01:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"What is a mechanical keyboard and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/assets.hongkiat.com\\\/uploads\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/assets.hongkiat.com\\\/uploads\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hongkiat\",\"description\":\"Tech and Design Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Hongkiat.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/hkdc-logo-rect-yoast.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/hkdc-logo-rect-yoast.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":799,\"caption\":\"Hongkiat.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/hongkiatcom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/hongkiat\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/hongkiat\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9055cf045c2ed578773e8a4e184ba621\",\"name\":\"Rean\",\"description\":\"Rean is an operations specialist, growth hacker, and a consultant specializing in remote team setup and management.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hongkiat.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/rean\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards (2021)","description":"What is a mechanical keyboard and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards","og_description":"What is a mechanical keyboard and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are","og_url":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/","og_site_name":"Hongkiat","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hongkiatcom","article_published_time":"2021-09-15T13:01:48+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Rean","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@hongkiat","twitter_site":"@hongkiat","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rean","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/"},"author":{"name":"Rean","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9055cf045c2ed578773e8a4e184ba621"},"headline":"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards","datePublished":"2021-09-15T13:01:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/"},"wordCount":2856,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg","keywords":["Keyboards \/ Mechanical Keyboards"],"articleSection":["Gadgets"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/","name":"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards (2021)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg","datePublished":"2021-09-15T13:01:48+00:00","description":"What is a mechanical keyboard and why are there thousands of people going crazy over them? You would think that a keyboard is just a keyboard. Some are","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/mechanical-keyboard-membrane.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mechanical-keyboard-guide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Complete Guide to Understanding Mechanical Keyboards"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/","name":"Hongkiat","description":"Tech and Design Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Hongkiat.com","url":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/hkdc-logo-rect-yoast.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/hkdc-logo-rect-yoast.jpg","width":1200,"height":799,"caption":"Hongkiat.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hongkiatcom","https:\/\/x.com\/hongkiat","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/hongkiat\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9055cf045c2ed578773e8a4e184ba621","name":"Rean","description":"Rean is an operations specialist, growth hacker, and a consultant specializing in remote team setup and management.","url":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/author\/rean\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4uxU-eWC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57450"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57453,"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57450\/revisions\/57453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57450"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=57450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}