About our keycaps

I am just getting started with mechanical keyboards, what do I need to know to pick the right keycaps?

Our guides are a great starting point for getting your bearings: they will walk you through keycap materials and manufacturing processes, the trade-offs of each, and help you make sense of all the keyboard layout standards out there. You will find these resources here.

Are your keycaps compatible with my keyboard?

To make sure that our keycaps will work with your keyboard, there are two things to check:

1. That your keyboard uses MX-standard switches, identifiable by their cross-shaped stem.

2. That the 129 keys in our set are enough to fully outfit your keyboard. Our kits work with most standard keyboard layouts (100%, 80%/TKL, 75%, 65%, 60%, and more). The complete view of our set, found at the bottom of every product page, will let you confirm this with total confidence.

Is your keycap set ISO or ANSI?

Both! Balaguère Studios is a project built primarily with a European audience in mind, which is why ISO tends to take the spotlight on our site. That said, we know ANSI layouts are far more common globally, so our sets come with extra keys to cover both layouts.

What keycap profile do you offer?

Right now, we only offer the sculpted Cherry profile. Our sublimation equipment was built specifically around this profile, though we are not ruling out adding new profiles down the road.

Do you sell partial sets or individual keycaps?

Our sets are only available as a fixed collection of 129 keycaps. This lets us standardize production and packaging, which keeps our costs – and your final price – down.
Beyond the practical side, it is also a matter of philosophy: we believe a keycap set should be able to follow you from keyboard to keyboard. That broad compatibility means you are free to change your board without ever having to rethink your keycaps.

What are your keycaps made of? How do you mark and color them?

Our keycaps are made exclusively out of PBT, a plastic known for holding up exceptionally well against wear from skin contact. The kind of everyday friction that, with other plastics, often leads to that unwelcome glossy “shine”.
To color our keycaps, we use dye-sublimation. It is a method built to last: the ink is diffused deep into the plastic itself, so the legends and colors won’t fade with time or with use.
Curious to learn more about materials and processes? Check out our dedicated guide.

Can I order a fully custom set?

Got something specific in mind? Reach out through our contact page or by email at contact@balaguerestudios.com.
We will take a close look at your request, we love a design that breaks the mold! There is no minimum order for custom projects, though production will naturally take longer than a set ordered directly through our site.

Orders & Shipping

How long does it take to produce a set before it ships?

Our keycaps are made to order. Once we receive your order, it typically takes two to five business days to produce and ship it.
We craft every set in a small workshop, so if we are swamped when your order comes in and cannot hit our usual turnaround, we will email you to let you know. From there, you can choose to cancel for a full refund or sit tight with the new estimated timeline.

Which countries do you ship to? What about delivery times and costs?

We currently ship to countries bordering France: France (excluding overseas territories), Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland.
This list will grow as we add new language layouts to our lineup.
To check delivery times and costs for your country, just add a product to your cart and pull up the shipping options, they will update automatically based on the address you enter.

Something is wrong with my order, who do I contact?

If you run into an issue with your order, reach out through our contact page or by email at contact@balaguerestudios.com.
If the issue is shipping-related (a delay, or a lost package), we will handle getting in touch with the carrier ourselves.

My package arrived damaged, what should I do?

We design our shipping packaging to absorb the bumps of transit. That said, if a package looks abnormally damaged, we recommend refusing it directly with the carrier at the time of delivery.

Returns

What if my order does not match, is incomplete, or has a defect?

If you receive a set that does not match your order, arrives incomplete, damaged, or shows defects beyond what is covered in our tolerance guidelines, get in touch as soon as possible through our contact page or by email at contact@balaguerestudios.com.
Depending on the situation, we will offer either a replacement for the affected keycaps, or a refund, with no return shipping costs on your end.

Can I return my keycap set?

In line with current regulations, you have 14 days from the date you receive your order to exercise your right of withdrawal.
Just let us know you would like to return it, and we will walk you through the process.
To be accepted, the set needs to come back to us complete, uninstalled on a keyboard, in its original packaging and in resellable condition.
Return shipping is on you, unless the return is due to a defect (see the question above).
Once we have received and inspected the return, we will issue a full refund within 14 days.

Care & Maintenance

How do I clean my keycaps?

If you would like to clean your keycaps, we recommend removing them from your keyboard first, then gently scrubbing them with a soft cloth or brush in cold or lukewarm water with a bit of soap or dish liquid. Rinse them off and let them air dry completely before putting them back on your keyboard.

Important: never expose sublimated keycaps to heat (hot water, or dishwasher for instance). Heat causes the polymer chains in the plastic to loosen up, letting the ink that colors the keycap migrate and spread. In other words, under heat, sublimated PBT keycaps will dull, lose saturation, and lose sharpness in their details.