IC/Discussion on beige set

Muirium · 27 Aug 2013, 17:23

Ah, Dolch-like colours on squared off spherical caps. Fancy!

I've nagged Matt plenty about SA. He reckons SP just doesn't have the full set of moulds we would need. The 23 Commando group buy seems to have pulled off a fair set, but in ABS instead of PBT unless I'm mistaken.

matt3o · 27 Aug 2013, 17:25

yes SA+ABS is still feasible. SA+PBT not so much. (23 commando is ABS).

as much as I like the dolch-like, I still prefer the symbolics color combo

kwago · 27 Aug 2013, 17:52

matt3o · 27 Aug 2013, 17:56

They are all adorable

I don't like Q of Source Sans. Neutraface maybe is too thin (and a bit too much "architect"). Din Next and District Pro are not bad. Maybe the one that I like the most is Gotham Book.

Anyway if we can go Open Source fonts is better.

kwago · 27 Aug 2013, 18:02

Gotham does appeal to me a lot because it is the Helvetica of the contemporary design world, despite have roots that go back several decades. Also, the character width is much like the SP typeface on the DSA Retro and R3/R4 sets, which is a look I think is quite nice.

That said, the free typefaces listed above would work quite well if people are opposed to using the SP type.

Regardless, I am in for at least one set. I am gravitating towards the Hi-Pro clone colors, or the one above it.

matt3o · 27 Aug 2013, 19:03

maybe I'm not a big fan of number and punctuation of Gotham book

douchecanoe · 27 Aug 2013, 19:26

Neutra and Gotham get my votes, I like how they're "full width" if you could call it that, and not condensed

kwago · 27 Aug 2013, 19:28

If forced to go with a more ubiquitous face such as Helvetica or Arial, definitely Helvetica Neue Roman or Light.

matt3o · 27 Aug 2013, 19:31

as long as I organize this GB Helvetica won't happen

Muirium · 27 Aug 2013, 19:44

Because I asked him about it too much already!

matt3o · 27 Aug 2013, 19:45

it's not "retro".

edit: just kidding. we will make a couple of mock ups. If helvetica turns out well, helvetica it is.

Muirium · 27 Aug 2013, 19:46

matt3o wrote:it's not "retro".

Sure it's not…

Edit: hooray!

kwago · 27 Aug 2013, 19:54

While old, Helvetica is everywhere and has been for decades, keeping it from becoming retro.

Muirium · 27 Aug 2013, 19:58

Exactly. Helvetica isn't dated: it's evergreen. All the more reason I want it all over my keyboard. That and its fantastic geometry and readability.

And because I'm an IBM compulsive these days…

matt3o · 27 Aug 2013, 20:37

let me rephrase it.

It's not keyboard-retro. And you know that Muirium

Muirium · 27 Aug 2013, 20:45

Can't blame a fellow for advocating what he wants!

It'll take a hell of a good font to beat Helvetica in a fair fight. Bring it on!

matt3o · 28 Aug 2013, 10:27

Good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?

okay. Bad news is that SP came out with a $6000 fee to make a full sublimated keyboard. This is very unfortunate since last time we checked this was not the case.

Good news is that we might have PBT spacebar.

Muirium · 28 Aug 2013, 10:34

They can do Helvetica but are all out of PBT?
They can do PBT but are all out of Helvetica?
You forgot their contact details but found your missing keys?

matt3o · 28 Aug 2013, 10:35

updated

Muirium · 28 Aug 2013, 10:37

Ouch. And yay. Such is life.

What size of potential space bar: 6.25?

matt3o · 28 Aug 2013, 10:39

I think I'm happier for the spacebar than I'm sad for the $6000. I bet the spacebar is 6.25, yes. I should get a sample soon.

BimboBB · 28 Aug 2013, 10:45

for what is this fee?

matt3o · 28 Aug 2013, 10:55

for the missing printing heads (when we asked for the Sindarin set this didn't come out so I'm pretty shocked)

Muirium · 28 Aug 2013, 10:57

Speaking of the Sindarin set: how goes the keyboard of the elves?

matt3o · 28 Aug 2013, 11:00

that's totally on samwisekoi at this point, and as far as I understand now he is overwhelmed at work.

Broadmonkey · 28 Aug 2013, 14:32

matt3o wrote:for the missing printing heads (when we asked for the Sindarin set this didn't come out so I'm pretty shocked)

So that is $6000 for making new legends... on dye sub? or am I understanding something?

matt3o · 28 Aug 2013, 14:36

to make the heating head for some of the caps (for the dye sub process)

matt3o · 29 Aug 2013, 19:10

I'd say this is a mostly closed discussion. With a starting price of $6000 we would need to sell 400 sets to get a decent pricing.

The only alternative would be to go DCS (PBT+dyesub).

Vierax · 30 Aug 2013, 07:54

The Gotham font looks the best to me too. The last colour set is the only beige one but I prefer the others, less yellow, even if it'll look better on my Tipro

matt3o wrote:to make the heating head for some of the caps (for the dye sub process)

You talk about DSA only or SA too ?

If I understand it well, the heating head depends on the size of the caps : If they have at least the 1, 1.25 and 1.5 unit, and knowing that the few remaining keys are geographically recognisable on a keyboard, is it unthinkable to let them blank and have a partial dye-subbed set ?

matt3o · 30 Aug 2013, 09:25

I think they have 1, 1.5 and 2. We miss all 1.25 mods, the shifts and return...