Keycaps are an integral part of a keyboard, serving as the visible and tactile interface between you and the keyboard's switches. The choice of keycap material can greatly affect your typing experience, common materials include ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate), and POM (Polyoxymethylene), each with unique characteristics affecting durability, texture, and typing experience. Today WhatGeek mainly introduces you to the differences, advantages and disadvantages of ABS material keycaps and PBT material keycaps.

Dye-sublimated: Dye-sublimation legends are created by using heat and dye to permanently stain the plastic of the keycap. These legends are very durable and will not wear out over time but can have softer edges, due to the dying process. This type of legend is most common to PBT keycaps due to their reduced wear and tear versus ABS. This is the complete breakdown that you will need to know in search of the best keycap for you. Keycap MaterialThere are a 4 main things that differentiate ABS from PBT. Generally PBT is a higher quality plastic to use for a keycap. That’s why I think it’s super important to know the stuff a keyboard’s keycaps are made of and what the implications are before purchasing one. Keycaps are very important for any computer keyboard due to the critical role it plays in making our work with computers more efficient. They are the little plastic objects that cover the keyboard of your computer. Undoubtedly, most keyboards on the market come with ABS keycaps made of ABS, which is the short form for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. One of the distinguishing attributes of PBT is its ability to bear a matte finish. PBT keycaps can also have a grainy feel or a smooth texture. Some prefer the grainy feel because it produces a more tactile feel, while others prefer a smoother texture.

Dye-sub is another keycap printing method. These keycaps are made with a dye that is imprinted onto the keycap. However, from what we’ve seen so far, PBT keycaps are better than ABS keycaps despite some disadvantages in cost and molding. Unlike the ABS keycaps, they have a stronger, textured build that enhances durability, longevity, and overall performance.PBT, as compared to ABS, is far more robust, so it both wears more slowly than ABS, and the pattern of wear is more even, so the keycaps stay usable and pretty for longer. Not all ABS plastics have inferior quality. Some inferior ABS keycaps can have faded legends in a matter of two years, depending on the frequency of use. Others made with a greater determination can last over a decade. ABS is a thermoplastic polymer with a low melting point, meaning that it melts down easily and can be remolded over and over again. This ease of recycling is a chief reason for ABS's popularity in most industries dependent on plastic — it's easy to recover potential losses from manufacturing errors, and it's easy to source ABS cheaply. Everything from children's toys to hard hats is made of ABS. Likewise, sound profile is going to vary. However, PBT is a denser plastic and that will impact sound all by itself. The question is by how much. I tested multiple sets on the same board and can clearly hear a difference. That said, I didn't have calipers on hand. Perhaps the caps are 0.1 mm different (visually, on close comparison, they look the same).