TypoTasten German typography keyboard

TypoTasten is a keycaps set for Windows and MacOS making the extended keyboard layout “E1” from the German keyboard standard DIN 2137 (2023) available to users of mechanical keyboard in Germany and Austria.

Rounded typefaces were often used on computer keyboards during the 1970s and 1980s because of the double-shot moulding production process, which cannot provide sharp corners for the key legends. The TypoTasten keycaps are produced with a dye-sublimation process instead, so any typeface would have worked. Hoss Round was chosen because it can be associated with that time when mechanical keyboards were heavily used, while also being interesting enough to give these keycaps their own unique look. In addition, the range of weights was useful to clearly separate the different layers on the keys. Not all glyphs are directly taken from the fonts. Some glyphs had to be added and some were modified to increase the legibility when being used in such a small size.

The project was launched on Kickstarter in November 2024.