Dropping the number pad gives this illustrative tenkeyless keyboard a compact footprint and leaves more desk for the mouse. Lift a keycap and the switch underneath is visible and adjustable. Choosing a colour and a UK or US layout completes the build, ready to send as a quote.
Tenkeyless buyers have already made one decision: they do not need a number pad. Competitive players want the space for wide mouse sweeps, and people with small desks want a tidier set-up. What remains is colour and layout. In the UK, layout is less obvious than it sounds, because many enthusiasts deliberately choose US layout for its wider choice of replacement keycap sets.
PC and gaming hardware Configurator demo
Tenkeyless Keyboard
- Product
- Tenkeyless Keyboard
- Colour
- Matte Black
- Layout
- UK
Illustrative product. The design and images are generated examples, not a real model for sale.
What you can configure
Matte black, white, lilac and cool grey are shown in the demo; mint and navy round out the six. Layout is UK or US, logged in the summary while the image stays the same for now. On a compact board the layout difference is concentrated around Enter, left Shift and the symbol keys, which is exactly where touch typists notice it.
- Colour: Matte Black, White, Lilac, Cool Grey
- Layout: UK, US
Why a configurator suits keyboards
A UK retailer selling a tenkeyless board faces a split market. Most office and casual buyers expect UK layout. Many keyboard enthusiasts want US layout, because aftermarket keycap sets are more widely made for it. With twelve colour and layout variants to sell, the configurator needs to explain the choice without assuming which camp the buyer is in.
That explanation earns its place on the page. One or two lines beside the layout selector, describing the Enter key shape and keycap compatibility, stop buyers ordering the wrong one out of habit. They also tell enthusiasts that the retailer understands the product, which matters in a category where buyers judge shops by how much they know.
Pastel finishes like lilac and mint add a merchandising angle. These colours are often bought as part of a coordinated desk, with a matching mouse, mat and headset. Once a colour is chosen, the configurator can suggest matching accessories from the retailer's range. The keyboard becomes the anchor of a larger order rather than a single line.
How a production version would be built
I would render a top-down image per colour and layout, since legends and key shapes differ between UK and US. Twelve images is a small set once the 3D model exists. A second view with one keycap lifted shows the switch, and stays the same in every colour. Layout files, switch details and a list of accessories to suggest per colour sit in the data with the SKUs. Choices map to Shopify or WooCommerce variants, and accessory suggestions draw on the same structured product data as the rest of the store.
Build sheet for this range
- Colours in the full range: 6 (4 shown in this demo)
- Layout choices: 2
- Combinations to support: 6 × 2 = 12
- Images for one photograph per combination at 3 angles: 36
- Images if layouts can be shown as separate layers, at 3 angles: 24
- Data each of the 12 combinations needs: a SKU or variant ID, price, stock or lead time, and any dimensions or specification that change
Questions about keyboard configurators
Should a UK retailer offer US layout keyboards at all?
Usually, yes. Many keyboard enthusiasts in the UK prefer US layout, mainly because more keycap sets are made for it. The configurator can default to UK and explain the difference in a line, so casual buyers stay with UK while enthusiasts quickly find what they came for.
Can the configurator show the switch under a keycap?
Yes, as a fixed detail view with one keycap lifted. It shows the switch and how keycaps come off, which matters to buyers planning to customise their board. The view does not change with colour, so it needs only one image, or one per layout if the lifted key differs.
Can it suggest a matching mouse and mat after a colour is chosen?
Yes, if the data links them. Each colour can carry a list of matching accessories in the product data. Once the buyer picks lilac, for example, the configurator offers lilac or neutral items from your range. The suggestions follow rules you control, not guesses, so they stay accurate as stock changes.
How much does a keyboard configurator cost?
It depends on how many boards, finishes and layouts you carry, whether CAD files exist for rendering and where orders go. A single board with colour and layout is a contained project; a full range with keycaps and switches is larger. My page on configurator costs sets out each factor.
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A configurator for your keyboards
This demo uses an illustrative product. If you sell keyboards, I can build the same experience around your own range, photography and ordering process, connected to Shopify, WooCommerce or a quote workflow. I reply to enquiries within two UK working days.