Ordering
Max Keyboard offers normal models, semi-custom, and then full-custom variations of both of their models. The normal models and even the semi-custom models can be ordered on their website completely, but when it comes to the full custom keyboards you have to call or email to order. For ours we spoke via email. When considering the logistics of trying to map out all of the different keys both with LED color and switch type, I made things easier by photoshopping a keyboard image and sent it over. They responded with a few suggestions and a more professional color coded image. This made it easy to see exactly what we would be getting. Hopefully someday they will be able to integrate something like this onto their website to make custom keyboard ordering easier.
You may be wondering what we were thinking when putting together this interesting design using three different key switch types. I wanted to go with Cherry Browns on the main keys to give tactile feedback while keeping the noise down. The Cherry reds are quieter and without tactile feedback making the F buttons “feel” different than the normal keys. Then we went with the Cherry Black on the Escape button because it requires more force, making it harder to accidently press escape.
The lighting layout was partially to just see a multi colored backlighting on a keyboard but also to make the letters easiest to see in the dark. Red on the Escape button for obvious reasons and we went with orange and blue on the other keys for a little LanOC style.
