Editing Keycap printing (section)

==Dye sublimation==
Dye sublimation is a process where heat is used to impregnate a material with a dye. This is different to printing in that printing forms a layer of paint on top of the plastic, whereas dye sublimation causes the dye to sink into the plastic. Dye sublimation was a popular method for keycap printing in the 1980s and 1990s. Because the dye permanently stains the plastic, it cannot be worn off like paint, and unlike laser printing, it can be used to easily print a mixture of different colours.

However, in addition to being more expensive than pad printing or laser etching, dye sublimation requires that the dye must be darker than the material it is being used to dye. This means that you cannot use dye sublimation to print white lettering (as nothing is brighter than white) or to print onto black keycaps (as nothing is darker than black). Given the popularity of white-on-black keycaps since the early 2000s, dye sublimation has become non-existent in mainstream keyboards. Today, it is largely confined to Unicomp, who use it to print onto white, grey or coloured keycaps. Topre uses it to print onto white keycaps, but also to print black lettering onto dark grey keycaps. 

Prominent users of dye-sublimation include [[IBM]] and [[Unicomp]], [[Apple]], and [[Topre]]. [[Acer]] used dye-sublimated legends on their [[Acer 6310 series|6310 series]] keyboards. [[Cherry]] used dye sublimation keycaps on some keyboards of their 3000 series keyboards in the 1990s.

<gallery widths=250 heights=187>
File:IBM Model M 1391406 -- dye sublimated legends.jpg|[[IBM Enhanced Keyboard|IBM Model M]] dye-sublimated legends
File:Apple M0116 Caps Lock disengaged.jpg|Vintage Apple dye-sub keycaps
File:IBMFXT_dyesub.jpg|Model F XT dye-sub keycap legend
</gallery>