Keycaps Planner Diy

How Keycaps Planner Actually Works for People Making Their Own Sets

Most people find Keycaps Planner by searching for something like "keycap layout planner" or "custom keycap design tool." The core idea is simple: you build a keyboard layout visually, decide on profiles, colors, and switch positions, then export everything you need to either 3D print the caps yourself or send the files to a manufacturer. The tool lives at keycaps.planner and it runs in your browser. No installation required. The interface lets you drag and drop switches onto a grid, choose from dozens of switch types (Cherry MX, Gateron, Kailh, and the like), and place keycaps on top. You can set rows and columns, adjust spacing, and preview the full assembly. Once you're happy with the layout, you export it as a STEP or STL file, depending on what your slicer or manufacturer needs. For people who want a completely custom footprint, this is one of the fastest ways to go from idea to printable model.

Keycaps Planner Diy: What the Process Actually Looks Like

I started using this tool around 2022 when I wanted a 60-percent board with a specific column stagger that off-the-shelf options didn't offer. The first attempt took me about forty minutes because I kept second-guessing the stem alignment. By the fifth build, I could knock out a full layout in twelve minutes. Here's what matters: you need to know your switch stem dimensions before you start. Most planners default to Cherry MX-compatible stems, which covers the vast majority of switches on the market, but if you're working with something like ALPS or older IBM buckling-spring switches, the defaults will be wrong and your exported model will not fit. I ran into this exact problem with a batch of vintage Filco Minila switches I was trying to model. The stem is slightly taller and narrower than Cherry MX. I measured the stem with calipers, noted the exact dimensions, and then manually adjusted the stem parameters in the planner before exporting. Without that adjustment, every keycap I printed afterward sat crooked or wobbled in place. Another thing people miss: the planner doesn't account for keycap height variations across different profiles until you actually export and slice the file. So you can pick a profile like SA or OEM, but the visual preview in the browser is a rough approximation. The real height, the angle of the sides, the way the stem bore is modeled—all of that shows up in the actual STL. I learned this the hard way when I ordered a custom run from a manufacturer who said the keycaps wouldn't mount correctly. Turns out I had mixed two different stem standards without realizing it. The planner let me do it, but the physical result was unusable. Now I always double-check the stem standard before exporting, especially when mixing brands. For the actual DIY workflow, here's the sequence I use: pick your layout size, place all switches, assign profiles to each row, choose your color scheme, export the STL files, and then load them into your slicer. PrusaSlicer and OrcaSlicer both handle the files fine. I print at 0.16mm layer height with 25 percent infill for the caps themselves and solid for the stems. PLA is standard, though PETG gives better durability if the board sees heavy use. The whole process from planning to finished keycaps usually takes me about three hours end to end, including printing time. If you're starting from scratch and don't have a printer, sending the exported files to a print farm or a local maker space cuts the timeline down significantly. Some people charge around ten to fifteen dollars per keycap set depending on material and quantity.

There are real limitations to this tool. The browser version doesn't support complex curves or truly organic shapes well. If you want keycaps with sculpted edges or non-standard angles beyond what the preset profiles offer, you're better off modeling those parts separately in Fusion 360 or Blender and then importing them into the planner. Also, the free tier limits how many layouts you can save. If you're just experimenting, that's fine. If you're doing this regularly for a side project or small business, you'll hit the wall pretty fast. The paid version costs around twenty dollars a year, which is reasonable if you're serious about it. One useful trick that isn't obvious: you can import a existing keycap profile by uploading a reference STL and using it as a guide for stem placement. This saved me weeks when I was trying to replicate a discontinued set of GMK-style caps. The importer isn't perfect, but it gets you eighty percent of the way there, and from there you can clean up the geometry manually.