We have been slowly replacing our laptops as we move from Dell to MSI around here, as we shift with how companies cater to different types of users through time. Dell used to offer a lot of power in a normal-feeling laptop chassis, but it simply fell out of our needs since the company seems to be pushing most of its power users over to its Alienware line. Meanwhile, MSI has been pushing most of its lines toward power users, increasing the options users have to pick from.
The only issue is that the MSI keyboards don’t always align with those who don’t spend most of their time gaming. Some of them can lean more towards gamers (and this makes sense), but not all users want those over-emphasized W, A, S, and D keys. They can become overly bright and distracting at times, and sometimes the letters on the keys can become completely washed out, which it could make it more difficult to type for visual typers.
Although most of us can type blindfolded and in our sleep, it doesn’t mean it isn’t distracting to have those keys washed out or reaching out and slapping your eyes as you stare at your laptop. So we decided to find a solution, which is similar to a solution we used in the past (repairing rubbed off keys on certain Logitech keyboards), and that’s stickers!
The best way to turn those keys into more normal-looking keys is by using special PVC stickers that you simply apply to the top. We sought out a new source for these and linked them here in the article so you can find the ones we used. What we liked about these was that they are the best bang for your buck. Some listings contain one or two sheets of stickers for $5-$10, but this listing has four sheets for around $5.50 (at the time of posting this). To make things better, the letters are transparent, which allows them to still glow through and blend in better with the rest of your backlit keys.
As you can see in the above picture, we quickly slapped these stickers on to see what they would look like if the user didn’t take the time to put them on absolutely perfectly. Despite the rushed job, they still ended up looking great. Then we pulled them off and reapplied them evenly for an even better effect. So I’d say the picture says a thousand words (or at least two: “it works”).
So if you are looking to blend those keys in like we did, those stickers were the best we ran into and a good deal, while providing you plenty of extras in case they begin to wear out somehow over time. So far, these have been holding up well for us. They apply easily, they let light through for the letters, they pull off easily without leaving any residue, and they look great. And now you know!
