Mechanical keyboards have become increasingly popular among digital artists and designers, thanks to their superior responsiveness, tactile feedback, and customizable features. While most people might associate mechanical keyboards with gaming, they’re also an excellent tool for digital art and design. By customizing your mechanical keyboard, you can make it even more tailored to your creative needs.
One of the key benefits of a mechanical keyboard is its ability to be customized. Most mechanical keyboards come with keycaps that are easy to remove and replace, which means that you can swap out the default keycaps for ones that better suit your needs. For digital artists and designers, this can mean replacing the standard keycaps with ones that have been specially designed for their specific software, or even ones that feature custom graphics or logos.
Another customization option is to add or replace switches to create a more responsive and tactile typing experience. Some switches, like Cherry MX Reds or Blacks, are favored by gamers for their speed and light touch. However, for digital artists and designers who spend long hours typing and using shortcuts, switches with a heavier tactile bump, like Cherry MX Blues or Browns, may be more suitable.
Beyond keycaps and switches, mechanical keyboards also offer a variety of other customization options. Many keyboards come with built-in lighting, which can be adjusted to different colors and brightness levels to create a more visually stimulating workspace. Some keyboards also have programmable macros, which allow you to set up custom key combinations for frequently used commands or shortcuts.
If you’re a digital artist or designer who relies heavily on a specific software program, you may even consider creating a custom layout for your 60 percent minimal mechanical keyboard. By using software like AutoHotKey or Karabiner, you can create a custom key map that suits your specific workflow, with shortcuts and commands that are easily accessible and intuitive to use.
Overall, customizing your mechanical keyboard for digital art and design is a worthwhile investment that can greatly improve your productivity and overall typing experience. By choosing the right keycaps, switches, lighting, and layout, you can create a keyboard that’s uniquely suited to your creative needs, and that enhances your ability to work efficiently and effectively.
