Membrane switch guides and design resources.

A membrane switch is a thin, sealed control panel that carries the graphics, the keys and the circuit in one bonded laminate. A printed overlay shows your artwork, a printed silver circuit registers each press, and a spacer sets the contact gap. It can be flat or have a tactile click, and it bonds straight onto your product through one tail.

A tactile membrane switch uses a stainless metal dome or an embossed poly dome to give a felt, repeatable click, usually around 200 to 400 gf. A non-tactile switch is flat with no raised feel, so it is lower profile, quieter and easy to wipe clean. The right choice depends on how often the keys are pressed and how much feedback the operator needs.

PET polyester is the usual choice for keys pressed often because it holds up well to flexing and embossing over a long life. Polycarbonate gives a hard, clear surface that suits printed windows and larger graphic panels. We can advise on the surface finish too, from matte and gloss to anti-glare and hard-coat anti-scratch.

Yes. We backlight keys and legends with surface mount LEDs for spot lighting, or with light guide film for even illumination across the whole key face. Backlighting can be single color or multi color, and we can add a dead-front overlay so hidden legends only appear when lit.

Send your drawing or a sample with the panel size in mm or inch, the key layout, the tactile feel you want, any backlight or window needs, the tail and connector, and your quantity. We reply with price, lead time and a sample plan. Prototype lead time is commonly two to three weeks, then production runs to your volume.