The root cause of the challenge in making metal keycaps translucent is that metal itself is opaque. Traditional solutions involved either drilling holes in the metal and filling them with transparent material or using laser perforation for the legends; however, the former compromised structural integrity, while the latter required nanoscale perforation technology. Awekeys’ solution relies on „physical light guidance“ rather than „material translucency“—using metal for the outer shell and plastic for the light-guiding pillars and the legends themselves. Light travels through the plastic channels, while the metal provides the tactile feel and structural integrity. This represents the most practical engineering approach to the issue of translucency in metal keycaps to date.
I. Warum Metalltastenkappen schwer durchscheinend zu machen sind
The atomic structure of metal renders it virtually opaque. When light strikes a metal surface, free electrons absorb and reflect the light energy; only extremely thin metal films (at the nanoscale) allow some light to pass through. Keycaps require a certain thickness to ensure structural strength and a good typing feel, meaning that the path of „making the metal itself translucent“ is physically unfeasible.
Early metal keycaps (such as Thermaltake’s zinc alloy models) simply abandoned the translucency feature. The industry consensus at the time was that backlight penetration through metal keycaps was „nearly impossible“ without employing the laser nano-perforation process Apple used for MacBook camera indicator lights. However, the high costs and low production yields associated with laser nano-perforation made it impractical for mass-producing keycaps.
Patent literature offers two approaches to solving this problem. One is „laser perforation plus transparent filling“: using a laser to drill through-holes (0.01mm to 0.1mm in diameter) at the legend positions on the metal keycap and then filling them with transparent material. The other is a „metal outer shell plus plastic inner shell“ design: the metal shell serves only for aesthetics, while light transmission for the legends is handled by internal plastic protrusions. Awekeys’ solution aligns more closely with the second approach but incorporates structural improvements.
II. Awekeys’-Lösung: Lichtführende Säulen + Kunststofflegenden
Das Kernmerkmal der RGB-durchscheinenden Metalltastenkappen, die von Awekeys im September 2026 angekündigt wurden, ist die Aufnahme von lichtleitenden Säulen aus Kunststoff in die Metall-Tastenkappenstruktur. Sein Funktionsprinzip ähnelt den lichtführenden Strukturen, die sich auf bestimmten halbundurchsichtigen mechanischen Schalterschäften befinden: Das vom Schalter emittierte Licht gelangt durch eine interne Lichtleitung zum Legendenbereich der Keycap, wo es durchscheint.
According to a report by TechPowerUp, Awekeys’ shine-through keycaps utilize transparent plastic for the stem mount and the legend itself, while the cupronickel metal serves only as the outer shell. This means the top surface of the keycap is not a solid piece of metal; the „top surface“ at the legend’s location is actually plastic, with the metal forming a surrounding frame and structural support.
Diese Konstruktion umgeht zwei technische Herausforderungen: Erstens wird eine Mikroperforation im Metall überflüssig und dadurch die mit dem Laserbohren verbundenen Ertrags- und Kostenprobleme vermieden. Zweitens, da der Legendenbereich aus Kunststoff besteht, dringt das Licht ungehindert durch, während die Metallhülle ihre Dicke und Steifigkeit behält. Dadurch bleibt die Oberseite der Tastenkappe glatt und fühlt sich sicher an, wodurch die Rauheit oder scharfen Kanten vermieden werden, die durch das Schneiden von Öffnungen für Legenden entstehen können.
Awekeys revealed that developing this shine-through solution involved „consuming 6.8 kilograms of metal“ in failed prototypes. This figure highlights the complexity of the metal-plastic bonding process; the two materials have different coefficients of thermal expansion, requiring repeated fine-tuning to ensure adequate bonding strength, sealing, and dimensional accuracy during injection molding.
III. Design-Kompromisse und Einschränkungen
This solution has a distinct limitation: the light-transmitting legends are positioned on the north side. Since all of Awekeys‘ shine-through legends are located on the north side of the keycap, the product is primarily designed for keyboards with north-facing RGB LEDs. However, many high-end mechanical keyboards currently employ a south-facing RGB layout (to improve compatibility with Cherry-profile keycaps); consequently, the lighting effect of Awekeys‘ shine-through keycaps will be compromised on such keyboards.
The keycaps are designed for full-height MX-style switches and feature the Cherry profile; there are currently no plans for low-profile shine-through versions. They are crafted from Awekeys‘ signature recycled cupronickel and are available in six colorways—Gold, Copper, Silver, Titanium Black, Obsidian Black, and Glow-in-the-Dark Neon—with a choice of brushed or satin surface finishes. At its core, this design approach deconstructs the „metal keycap“ from a monolithic concept into two components: a metal exterior layer and a plastic functional layer. The metal provides the tactile feel, weight, and sound—with Awekeys officially describing the acoustic profile as deeper and more „subdued“ than that of traditional plastic keycaps. The plastic component handles light transmission, legend clarity, and the fit with the switch stem. The critical interface between the two lies in the precision of the interlocking assembly; indeed, the engineering parameters defining this connection were secured by Awekeys only after producing 6.8 kilograms of failed prototypes.
