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. Why Metal Keycaps Are Difficult to Make Translucent
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’ Solution: Light-Guiding Pillars + Plastic Legends
The core feature of the RGB-translucent metal keycaps announced by Awekeys in September 2026 is the inclusion of plastic light-guiding pillars within the metal keycap structure. Its operating principle resembles the light-guiding structures found atop certain semi-opaque mechanical switch stems: light emitted from the switch travels through an internal light pipe to the keycap’s legend area, where it shines through.
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.
This design circumvents two engineering challenges. First, it eliminates the need for micro-perforation in the metal, thereby avoiding the yield and cost issues associated with laser drilling. Second, because the legend area is plastic, light passes through unobstructed, while the metal shell retains its thickness and rigidity. Consequently, the top of the keycap remains smooth and safe to the touch, avoiding the roughness or sharp edges that can result from cutting openings for legends.
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 Trade-offs and Limitations
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.
