Installing a Blank Keycap Set on Freewrite

Freewrite Smart Typewriter looks great with a set of blank keycap on it, but getting them installed is slightly different from installing any other keycap set. While all sets require removing individual keycaps as described in this support article, installing the blank keycaps are a little tricky since you do not have the characters printed on the keycaps to aid in re-construction of your Freewrite's keyboard.

Helpful hint: Not all keycaps have the same side profile, as you can see in the image below. Therefore, for proper installation, you need to identify each keycap's row before installing. 

Installation

1. Replace all keycaps in the perimeter of the keyboard (i.e. space, shift, tab, etc)

The easiest keys to identify are those sized differently than normal "1x1" keys, which are used for the individual characters. These are keys like space, shift, backspace, pg up, pg dn, and etc. These keycaps can be replaced first, as it is obvious where they should be placed in the layout. You should be able to fill in the all the keys in the bottom (row with the space bar) using this method. 

2. Identify the rows of the remaining keys

Each keycap has a row identifier printed on the underside of the keycap. If you are having trouble seeing the row identifier, use a magnifying glass or reading glasses. Each keycap (except for the larger keys) has this identifier. The identifier should read either R1, R2, R3, or R4. You can see some examples of those identifiers printed below. Put the keycaps with the same identifier into piles as you go. 

Note: R0 (the row with the spacebar) keys do not have any identification on the underside of the keycap. These keys can be identified by their size and lack of R# label.

3. Replace the keycaps, one row at a time

Using the below guide, I would replace each row at a time on your Freewrite. Remove all the keycaps in row R1, then replace them with the blank keycaps which you have identified as R1. Next move up and replace R2, R3, and, finally, R4.

4. Finished!

Now your keyboard is looking sharp and ready to go. You can either practice your touch typing skills or you can apply some language stickers to match your keyboard layout of choice!