Keycap profiles

In simple words, a keycap profile is what keycaps look like from the side. Getting a bit more technical, it's all about how the rows of keys are different — how they incline, how high they are, and the shape of the surface area.

This article will show the difference of all types and known profiles.

Sculpted

The profile of the keyboard and its PCB is straight, and the keycaps are already made with ergonomics in mind. The rows differ from each other and have different angles of inclination.

The disadvantage of this profile is that it’s impossible to set a non-standard layout and just switch the caps around without turning the keyboard into a monster from The Thing.

The most popular keycap profiles

OEM

The most common profile. It's mounted on the majority of keyboards and generally accepted as standard.

Cherry

The profile is similar to OEM, but it's lower and, in our opinion, appeals to a larger number of people.

MDA

It's fairly flat, yet has a textured profile. The bottom row is convex.

SA

An old-school high profile with spherical recesses from the Signature Plastics family.

MT3

A retrospective profile inspired by Signature Plastics SA. Designed with love.

KAT

Spherical, low-profile, sculpted keycaps.

DCS Signature Plastics

Another old-school Signature Plastics profile.

ASA

Akko's own design: with spherical recesses. It's similar in height to the OEM profile, but the recesses here are less pronounced.

OSA

High sculptural profile with spherical recesses. Slightly lower than MDA, but higher than KAT.

JDA

A medium height, sculpted profile designed by Akko. For those who don't like the classic OEM or Cherry profiles.

Uniform

Here, the rows of keycaps don't have an incline and are easily interchangeable. It's often used in laptop and low-profile keyboards.

Some keys may have recesses on the top for better finger readability when touch typing.

The most popular keycap profiles

DSA

Uniform low profile.

XDA

It's similar to the DSA profile, but the surface area is larger and more comfortable.

KAM

It's a profile based on the sculpted KAT. The surface area is wider and the profile is taller than DSA.

MBK

Keycaps with an extra large spherical surface area for low-profile Choc switches.

Stepped

It's a keyboard profile that creates a typewriter-like tilt effect.

All keycaps have the same angle of inclination. If the switches are mounted in the same plane, the top surfaces of the keycaps slope backward:

Alternatively, the angled placement of the switches allows for a stepped profile effect on flat keycaps:

The most popular keycap profiles

G20

A low-profile with a large surface area and a smooth transition from one keycap to the next.

KT

Well, you know, a profile's a profile.

Chiclet

These are low-profile keys with straight sides that fit into the slots at the top of the keyboard. Some keyboards have a valley in the middle of the keys, and the spacebar is usually flat. Nowadays, you can find this profile on many new laptops and low-profile keyboards.

The aluminum Apple keyboard, one of the first modern chiclet keyboards.

The most popular keycap profiles

AppleMAG

Super low-profile. Comes with a paid iCloud subscription as a bonus.