Switch: Gateron Ink Red

Epomaker sells all of the switches sent to me, and even as spare switches to try out before going with a full keyboard with the switch of your choice. The switch kits are sold in packs of 15, definitely not in the much larger quantity I needed. As such, packing the switches in bubble-wrap envelopes is all function over form, and even so not necessarily the best way to go about it as a few inside the package had tears due to sharp metal contacts poking through the envelope. Regardless, in the absence of a note stating which is which, I chose an envelope at random to begin with and found myself with the Gateron Ink Red switches.

There does not seem to be a consistent naming scheme, with some vendors choosing Gateron (color) Ink and others going with Gateron Ink (color). Gateron itself uses the latter, so that is what I am going with. Note also that the company itself fluctuates between INK and Ink, with the latter dominating online references. Finally, and this is something new customers do not need to be concerned about, these are version 2 (or simply v2), with the original batches having tolerance issues with stem wobble as well as the metal leaves falling out of the housing fairly easily. That has been fixed to a satisfying degree now, to where I am making the decision not to use "v2" to avoid potential confusion.

So what makes the Gateron Ink switches different from other Gateron mechanical switches? After all, Gateron has under its own portfolio several series/lines of 5-pin mechanical switches, including the milky and regular series. A quick look above says most of it, to be honest. The Ink in the name is based on what Gateron wants you to think the colors are based on. Imagine dropping a drop of red ink into water, making the liquid translucent with the color, not opaque. The first Ink switches were of the black variety and marketed with the housing having a smokey aesthetic. With the Ink Blacks, the internal springs are also coated black to better match the switch. But you essentially get a different housing material that remains unspecified, one that is not only translucent but supposedly also changes the sound signature to one more pleasing to the ears. Claimed are tighter tolerances with an enlarged stem post, which mates better with the actual stem/slider to reduce switch wobble. The stem is self-lubricating, and I have seen inconsistent notes from vendors about whether there is a tangible layer of lube on the stem and springs or not.

The Gateron Ink Red switch is effectively high-end, at least when it comes to a manufacturer-branded take on the Cherry MX Red linear switch. We see a translucent red housing and top here, which makes for quite the statement when you have several of them in a pile. The actual design is not that different from other Gateron switches, with the physical footprint identical to the older Gateron Red to fit into the switch socket, of course. It is a 5-pin mechanical switch in that there are two metal prongs for the actual actuation mechanism, and the other three are plastic pins for switch stability in the socket. The stem is opaque, albeit more vibrant than the typical Gateron Red switch. The switch is also compatible with 2-pin, 4-pin, and SMD RGB LEDs, and we see smaller holes in the housing and top for light to pass through, rather than a singular larger cutout. Speaking of lighting, expect the actual housing to hold back some of the light compared to a clear top, which reduces actual backlighting brightness.


Ah, I finally get a chance to show off my new fancy and completely unnecessary switch opener. Two sets of interlocking tabs keep the switch together, and it is easy enough to disassemble for a closer inside look. We see that it is fundamentally quite similar to any other crosspoint stem design mechanical switch, but with different materials and colors. The spring is indeed given a black coating and feels different compared to most other springs used in switches today. In fact, the stock springs are claimed to be one of the best such implementations in terms of quality control, reproducibility, and consistent resistance to switch travel. The stem certainly does not feel lubed in the sense of anything having been applied by hand, and we see the use of a typical metal leaf for actuation, wherein nibs on the stem push leaf contacts together to trigger actuation.


Using the Gateron Ink Red switches with the Epomaker GK96S is quite simple, especially considering the socket is compatible with 5-pin switches out of the box. If it were not, you would have to clip off the two outer plastic pins on the bottom of every single switch. At that point, you might as well take the time to lube the stem and springs since it will be a day-long affair anyway! But all you have to do here is ensure the metal pins are straight, orient the pins based on the openings in the switch socket, and press vertically down until you hit a solid wall. If you go at an angle or the pins were slightly off-center/angled, you might encounter resistance sooner or even hear the scrunching of the pins being bent or crumpled further. Once done, the switches look imposing up against the white plate and case.


Seen above is what in my opinion is the best default fit with the Akko keycaps for this configuration. I used the two shades of blue keycaps, with the modifier keys getting the darker base from the left half of the set. The legends are bright on the base, very well injected with no bad implementations, and note that I ended up using a 1u R.Ctrl instead of Menu, which is supposedly the default on the GK96S because there is unfortunately no 1u Menu keycap in the Akko set. So be aware of this in case it is a deal-breaker, though you can either remap the key to be R. Ctrl using the software drivers or just ignore the legends on the keycap instead.


From the side, we also see the lower Cherry profile of the keycaps playing well with the higher-profile GK68XS case. Removing the switches means first removing the keycaps, where the provided two-in-one tool comes in handy. Sometimes you may have the switches come off along with the keycaps, in which case you just pull it off, but you will generally have to use the switch remover to take the switches out. The thinner tool that came with the GK96S is more convenient than the usual single metal switch remover, especially in tighter spaces, such as at the top and bottom. The two switches between stabilizers on the numpad are the hardest to remove here, and you will have to make space for the tool by pushing the stabilizer housing outward on either side. Note that you may have bent pins, especially with the thinner one, which may even be the case out of the box or bag. Be sure you have a set of tweezers or extra switches just in case, but in many such cases, fingernails will suffice. I will also point out that using the switch remover will inevitably leave marks on the white powder-coated plate, but you can buff out most of the marks by simply wiping them off with a microfiber cloth.


Here we see the force-travel curve for the Gateron Ink Red switches, courtesy Gateron. But hang on, that's not right. The Gateron Ink Red is a linear switch and that force curve is for a tactile or clicky switch with the tactile bump at the first peak and the drop immediately after, followed by the rise as you bottom out. Turns out Gateron has re-used the chart for the Ink Blue on the English website. The Chinese website does not even have the charts, instead opting for listed numbers. Regardless, I can tell you that the Ink Red switches are medium-force linear switches with a total travel of 4.0 mm and a rated actuation distance of 2.0 mm. The rated actuation force is 45 +/-10 gf, which is slightly better than the average +/-15 gf error bar, but still not optimal for what is supposed to be a high-end switch. Peak force is rated at 67 g, though you will only hit ~60 gf when bottoming out and letting go in practice. As far as the rated specifications go, this switch is quite similar to the Cherry MX Red, and in practice, a random set of twenty switches tested well within the rated specifications, with measured actuation at ~2.1 mm and 45.66 gf on average.

So how does this actually play out in practice? Not too shabbily, and I can see why the springs are rated so highly. The housing in particular is great to look at, but mostly affects acoustics, which we will discuss below. Key travel is smooth, but not as smooth as with some other stock switches I've had my hands on, including the Gateron Pink. Breaking these in will result in a bit more smoothness in travel, but I would go as far as to say that adding a layer of lube on the stems will help further. The springs themselves do not need much more tinkering as long as you prefer light-medium force linear switches.


Here is what this specific combination sounds like, and keep in mind that the sound profile is heavily influenced by everything. Even the plastic case matters a lot, with acrylic/wood/aluminium cases changing things drastically. The presence or absence of sound-dampening foam is also quite the factor, which is why it's best to compare switches with the same case/plate/keycap set. I can tell you right away that these switches sound alright, but really not that much different from other such Cherry MX Red switches or clones. The housing does make the sound more bassy, but it remains higher-pitched, with a "clack" rather than a "thock." Light reverberation off the empty case and pinging off the steel plate does occur, but is consistent across the board, which is more than I can say for a few other switches tested recently. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches.