GMK, ABS and PBT Keycaps: What to Compare for Your Collection

GMK is a manufacturer; ABS and PBT are plastics. Treating them as three competing materials makes the comparison confusing. Start with a specific set's specifications and whether it includes the keys your keyboard needs.

Brand, material and legend process

GMK's custom keycap guidelines describe its ABS custom keycaps and double-shot process. That is a statement about those products, not a separate material called GMK or a promise that every product from the company uses one plastic.

Both ABS and PBT appear in double-shot keycaps. The term describes how the legend and surrounding keycap are formed, rather than identifying the plastic. Keychron's explanation of its double-shot keycaps gives examples of that distinction. Read the specifications for the exact set, including any different material used for its legends.

Check the kit before the colorway

Compare the kit diagram with your keyboard layout. Check the spacebar, Shift keys, bottom row, Enter key and any unusual navigation keys. Also check switch-stem compatibility and the keycap profile. A matching color scheme is not useful if the kit is missing a key size you need.

For sculpted profiles, row placement matters. A key that physically fits the switch may have the wrong height or angle for that row. Look at the kit's row labels as well as the printed legends.

Compare the finish you will actually see

Texture, thickness, profile and lighting all affect the experience of a keycap set. Material alone does not give you a complete sound comparison or tell you how a colorway will look under your desk lighting. Use close-up photos and product specifications, and treat recordings as examples of the full keyboard build rather than isolated material tests.

For a display, consider contrast between the case, keycaps and stand. Photograph the collection from your normal viewing angle before rearranging everything for a straight-on promotional look. The customer gallery shows different color combinations in real rooms.

Display complete boards and loose keycaps

A keyboard stand is for the assembled board. If you collect loose artisan keycaps, browse the keycap display case and check its dimensions against the pieces you want to display.

This Etsy review photo shows artisan keycaps arranged in display cases. Tall or unusually shaped caps need their own clearance check. Choose the arrangement around the collection you have, then use the product page for current options and prices.