Keycap

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What Does Keycap Mean?

A keycap is a small plastic cover placed over a key on a standard computer keyboard. Each keycap is marked with the letter or function the system performs when the respective key is pressed. The standard material used for keycaps is plastic and the most common color is black, although they are also available in white, gray and other colors.

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Techopedia Explains Keycap

Early keyboards were manufactured with keycaps and key switches as one unit. Later, with the introduction of overlay keyboards, the keycap became a separate component so that it could be placed in the user’s desired location. In order to increase their usability, blank keycaps are also available with no pre-printed label. This is especially useful for overlay keyboards. The lettering on keycaps is usually done either by stamping or by laser for durability.

Custom keycaps have become a popular computer modification, with keycaps available in a wide variety of colors and styles.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.