How to make custom keycaps — a complete guide
Last updated: 2026-07-11
There are two realistic ways to get custom keycaps: make them physically yourself (resin casting or hand-painting single caps), or design a full set online and have it professionally printed. For a whole keyboard the second route is far more practical: you paint every key in the browser, and the finished set is dye-sublimation printed on PBT blanks and shipped to you.
In the olw0 Studio designing is free — you pay a flat price per set only when you order (from €60 for a 60% layout), and any number of colours and custom images on every key is included.
Design your own keycap set in 5 steps
- 1
Pick a keyboard layout
Choose the size that matches your keyboard: 60%, 65%, TKL (tenkeyless) or full-size. The set price is flat per layout, so nothing else changes the cost.
- 2
Choose a colour palette
Start from a curated colorway or add any custom colours. Keycap colour and legend (symbol) colour are set separately.
- 3
Paint the board
Click and drag across keys to paint fast, or fill whole groups — alphas, modifiers, accents — in one tap.
- 4
Add legends and images
Every key can carry custom text or your own uploaded artwork. Images on any number of keys are included in the flat price.
- 5
Choose a profile and order
Pick Cherry or flat (uniform) profile, set the case colour for the preview, check the live price and send the set to production. Made to order, production plus delivery take about 30–40 days.
DIY methods vs. ordering a printed set
Resin casting is how artisan keycaps are made: you sculpt a master, make a silicone mold, then cast each cap in epoxy resin. It gives full 3D freedom, but one cap takes hours, needs materials and practice, and legends are practically impossible — that's why artisans are usually single accent caps, not full sets.
Hand-painting existing caps with acrylics is cheap but short-lived: paint on a surface you touch thousands of times a day wears off, even under varnish.
3D printing produces usable shapes, but FDM texture feels rough, SLA resin can be brittle, and printed legends remain a problem.
Dye-sublimation printing on PBT blanks — the method olw0 uses — bakes the dye into the plastic itself. You get a durable, full-set result with any colours and artwork, without owning any equipment. That is the practical answer for a complete custom keyboard.
Why PBT plastic and dye-sub printing
PBT is the denser, more durable keycap plastic: it doesn't develop the greasy shine ABS caps get after months of use, and it has a pleasant textured surface.
Dye-sublimation doesn't lay ink on top of the cap — under heat the dye penetrates the plastic. Legends and artwork can't peel, chip or rub off, because they are inside the material.
Will custom keycaps fit your keyboard?
Sets are made for MX-style cross stems, the de-facto standard of mechanical keyboards: Cherry MX, Gateron, Kailh and most other switches accept them.
They won't fit laptop keyboards, membrane/rubber-dome boards, or low-profile switches with non-MX stems. If your mechanical keyboard uses regular MX switches, a custom set will fit.
How much do custom keycaps cost?
olw0 pricing is a flat price per set, regardless of how many keys you colour or print: 60% — €60, 65% — €65, TKL — €85, full-size — €105. Any colours, legends and images on every key are included; prices are also shown in your local currency at the live rate.
For comparison: mass-produced themed PBT sets cost $40–120 without any personalisation, group-buy designer sets often exceed $150 and take months to over a year to ship, and commissioning a single artisan cap runs $30–80.
FAQ about custom keycaps
How much does a custom keycap set cost?
A flat price by keyboard size: €60 for 60%, €65 for 65%, €85 for TKL, €105 for full-size. Any number of colours and custom images is included — the price doesn't grow with your design.
Can I print my own images or artwork on keycaps?
Yes. In the olw0 Studio you can upload artwork onto any key — one accent key or the entire board — at no extra cost. Dye-sublimation keeps the print permanent.
Will the legends wear off?
No. Dye-sublimation drives the dye into the PBT plastic itself rather than printing on the surface, so legends can't rub off, peel or fade with use.
Will the set fit my keyboard?
The caps use MX-style stems, so they fit almost every mechanical keyboard (Cherry MX, Gateron, Kailh and compatible switches). They don't fit laptops, membrane keyboards or non-MX low-profile switches.
How long does production take?
Every set is made to order. Production plus delivery take about 30–40 days.
Can I make just one keycap instead of a set?
Single artisan caps are the domain of DIY resin casting. olw0 produces complete printed sets — but within a set you decide how many keys carry custom art, from one accent key to all of them.
Can I publish my design or earn from it?
Yes. You can publish a design to the olw0 community; when someone orders it, you earn store credit, and designers can set a price markup on their published work.