Took a bit longer than expected, but PFF is finally ready for production! If you are living under a rock, PFF stands for “Penguin Flat Feet” and it’s one of the few keycaps designed specifically for low profile switches. Despite being extremely short, we did not compromise on ergonomics and –in all honesty– I think it’s one of the most comfortable profiles I’ve designed, low profile or otherwise.
I’ve already talked extensively about the design process and the challenges we faced in my previous post, but let me sum up the key points here again.
PFF is compatible with modern low profile switches with cherry MX stem (I know, I’m sorry for the purists, maybe we’ll add cherry-ML like support one day). This includes the Cherry Low Profile, Kailh Choc V2, Gateron Low Profile and Huano Low Profile (those in Keychron keyboards). The keycap height is 5mm but the stem protrudes a little bringing it to 5.7mm. The PCB-to-Key-Top distance is only 11.7mm, to make a comparison PBS –which is already pretty short– stands approximately 17.8mm over your keyboard.
In the picture below you can see the difference between the two on a low-pro keyboard.
PFF is also uniform, you can mix and match keys wherever you want. This is a big deal for low profile keycaps because of the lack of standardization in the market, but also because it opens up a world of possibilities for custom layouts and weird keyboards.
The profile is “open” and “vendor free”, meaning that any designer or vendor can contact directly the manufacturer Keyreative and order the keycaps without any exclusivity or middleman.
Shut up and take my money!
CannonKeys recently announced the Bullet Train keyboard that features two PFF sets: PFF Verdant Retro and PFF WoB. While the group buy phase has already ended, there will likely be some extras available after the production phase, so if you are interested ask to be notified on the product page on CannonKeys or one of their international resellers: MonacoKeys, Prototypist, zFrontier.
The big news is that YUZU has added PFF to their lineup and you can start designing your own custom sets right now! You can read more about it on their website and don’t forget to share your creations!
If you need inspiration you can start from PFF T3rminal. Check on my Discord for more designs and updates.
What about PBS?
PFF is cool and all but it’s still a very niche product. Don’t worry I’ve got you covered, PBS is as comfortable and fully compatible with standard MX switches.
YUZU is also carrying PBS and people are already sharing their designs, this is Space Cadet for example.
As always you can check CannonKeys for currently available sets and Group Buys, and Keyreative for the official manufacturer.
Ranting forewords
I’m not gonna lie, these are scary times. I feel guilty talking about keycaps when the world is going to shit. Between wars and big corps trying to shove AI down everyone’s throat, it’s hard to keep a composure.
PFF and PBS are pretty affordable, high quality, highly customizable profiles and I hope they will bring a little solace to your daily life. Stay safe, stay positive, and keep clacking.