ANSI and ISO are useful starting points when planning custom keyboard keycaps, but they do not describe every key on a keyboard. For a company order, record the exact models and compare their key requirements before assigning a set to each employee.
Recognize the common physical differences
A typical ANSI keyboard has a wide horizontal Enter key. A typical ISO keyboard has a taller, stepped Enter key, a shorter left Shift and an additional key beside it. Those differences affect both the keycaps you need and the placement of artwork. Check the actual keyboard rather than inferring its shape from the country where it was purchased.
Keep physical layout and language separate
QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ describe legend arrangements; they do not by themselves identify every physical key size. French teams may need AZERTY symbols, while another team may use the same physical layout with different legends. Record the layout shape and required characters as separate fields in your order brief.
Catalog examples for project discussion. Ask DIYKeycap to confirm the selected material, legends, key inventory and keyboard model.
Check the keys that cause the most surprises
- Enter and left/right Shift: confirm their shapes and widths.
- Spacebar and bottom row: compare the required key widths and positions.
- Compact boards: check shortened modifiers and navigation keys.
- Stem type: confirm the keycap mount, especially for low-profile or laptop keyboards.
- Row profile: confirm the correct row for sculpted keycaps.
Read the set inventory before choosing
DIYKeycap's listed PBT custom set offers a 129-key ANSI option and a 156-key ANSI/ISO option. The larger inventory provides more layout options, but it is not a guarantee of fit for every keyboard. Compare the included keys with the manufacturer's layout or provide a clear top-down keyboard photo for review.
Build one compatibility table for the team
Use columns for keyboard model, physical layout, language, quantity and any nonstandard keys. Attach model-specific photos or layout references and keep each group's design file identifiable. This gives the factory a practical basis for reviewing compatibility before a bulk quote and helps prevent a shared brand design from being assigned to the wrong key arrangement.
Group keyboards by model before counting sets
Here is an illustrative planning exercise, not a DIYKeycap customer case. An office has one group using full-size ANSI keyboards, another using compact ISO-DE keyboards and a third using ISO keyboards with French AZERTY legends. One company logo can be shared, but the physical keys and character files should be checked for each group.
- Group A: record the exact ANSI model, Enter and Shift keys, spacebar and requested legends.
- Group B: check ISO Enter, the shorter left Shift, compact modifiers and German QWERTZ symbols.
- Group C: identify the ISO model and precise French AZERTY variant, including the number row and punctuation.
Only after those groups are confirmed should you total the quantities. Do not assume employees in the same country have identical keyboards, or that a smaller keyboard uses fewer unique key shapes.
Understand key width and row position
In a key diagram, 1u means the width of a normal letter key. Labels such as 1.75u or 2.25u describe wider keys; they do not describe height or switch type. Two keys can show the same word while having different widths. If you cannot identify a size, provide the manufacturer’s diagram or a clear overhead photo rather than guessing.
For a sculpted profile, the intended row also matters. A correctly sized key from the wrong row may sit differently from its neighbours. Confirm width, row and mount together. Laptop and low-profile keys need their own compatibility review; an ordinary mechanical-keycap diagram does not establish that they will fit.
Confirm local characters with the actual input layout
Use a complete character map, not just a language name. German designs may need QWERTZ and Ä, Ö, Ü or ß; French AZERTY requires the customer’s exact version; Spanish orders should distinguish Spain from Latin American arrangements; Italian orders should include the desired accented characters and symbols. Confirm number-row and secondary characters as well as letters.
Changing printed legends does not change the computer’s input setting. A German-language design can be discussed for an ANSI keyboard while retaining ANSI key shapes. Conversely, adding an ISO Enter key cannot convert an ANSI keyboard’s physical layout. For help, use our ISO-DE, AZERTY, ISO-ES and ISO-IT guides.
Prepare a reviewable team order sheet
For each group, record model and version, photo or diagram, physical layout, legend file, exceptional keys, profile, mount and quantity. Give the group a short identifier that also appears in the artwork filename. Include delivery country and target date in the project brief, and ask how quantities split across different designs affect the quote and minimum order.
Have a responsible person approve both the key inventory and the character map. The Japanese and Korean catalog images above show language legends; they do not prove compatibility with every JIS or Korean-market keyboard. If a model is still unclear, request a check before assigning its set. Keep price, sampling, packaging and production time tied to the confirmed project.
Discuss your project with our factory
DIYKeycap has its own factory and accepts bulk custom keycap projects. Send your company name, quantity, keyboard models and layouts, artwork, delivery country and target date. Minimum quantity, price, sampling, lead time and packaging are confirmed for each project.
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