The Story
I have an unhealthy obsession with neon yellow. Not just any neon yellow, but a very specific hue positioned precisely at the point where you’re not sure whether it’s more yellow or green. This color makes me immensely happy.
This obsession, combined with being a keycap designer and my innate curiosity, led me down a long, winding path with one ultimate goal: How do you bring this color to a set of keycaps in the most perfect way possible? It seems simple, but I’ve spent the past four years working with multiple factories, experimenting with various types of plastic and different printing methods. Some experiments were successful; most were not.
Dye sublimation was out of the question due to the limitations of the heat-based printing method, and almost none of the factories could produce plastic that matched the intensity I was seeking. One factory came close, but then we encountered issues with the metallic pad-printed legends—they faded after a week. So, it was back to the drawing board, over and over again.
It was supposed to be simple, so why was it so hard? All I wanted were neon yellow caps with modern, metallic-colored legends.
In a final attempt to make this project a reality, I reached out to GMK with a frankly crazy idea: What if we create a completely new set of double-shot legends? I knew they could nail the color, but what about the legends?
I adore the classic Cherry legends GMK is known for. They have a rich history and are well-loved by the community. However, they also feature a range of charming inconsistencies and typographic quirks that didn’t align with the modern theme I was aiming for.
So, I revisited a legends template I had been tweaking over the past couple of years and thought, “What if these were double-shot?” After a couple of emails back and forth with Mario and Franz at GMK, we devised a plan: a completely new set of legends, available to anyone in the community who wants to use them in their designs, aptly named Neue (German for “new”). These aren’t meant to replace the Cherry legends but to offer a contemporary alternative.
Hi! Viz will be the first set featuring Neue’s icon mods, and we’ll commence work on the tooling for text+icon mods and text mods immediately afterward. Several other sets using GMK’s Neue legends are already in the works, and if you’re a keycap designer interested in learning more, you can check out this document I put together with all the resources you might need.
Love,
Tim
Keycaps
The large base kit supports a wide variety of keyboard layouts (including 4-key 40's support) and operating systems. If your mechanical keyboard uses switches with an MX stem, these caps will fit on it.
"Hi!" Artisan
Hi Viz is a really, really special project. So I wanted to make the artisan special too. While everything else around the project is inspired by the best color in the world, the artisan builds upon the metallic plastic GMK uses for the legends.
It features 3 machined pieces, all treated in a different way but uncoated. The bottom is aluminum with a stone wash tumble finish, the top is polycarbonate with a tumble polish finish, and the “Hi!” logo is also aluminum but with a tumble polish finish just like the top. The top keeps the logo in place, 4 screws keep the top in place. Snug.
The artisan is delicately machined by my friend Salvun here in Belgium. It’s pushing the limits, and he’s the right machinist for the job.
Cherry R1 profile, 1U, MX compatible. Available from most vendors during the group buy.
Deskmat
900x435x4mm, rough texture.
Deskpiece (maybe)
