(Work in Progress)

For keyboards, there are various lighting options available, and the different types of lighting can be difficult to understand. Hopefully, this will clear it up for you.

There are a few different factors for lighting:

• Lighting direction/location

• Single-color vs. RGB

• Group control vs. Individual control

• North-facing vs. South-facing switches

Lighting location/direction

First, you can have light pointing in various directions. Here are the different options for that:

• In-Switch - An LED is placed inside or through the switch housing and faces upward

• Indicator light - An LED is placed somewhere on the board, not on a switch. Examples: Num lock indicator

• Underglow - LED is pointing down towards the bottom of the keyboard

Single-Color vs. RGB

An LED can be a single-color that can't be changed or an RGB LED that can change to a specific color that can be controlled.

Single-Color LEDs

RGB LEDs

Control options

• Group controlled

• Individually controlled

Additional References

​In-depth explanation of RGB lighting, in-switch vs. underglow, and how to purchase what you want.​