Choosing a keyboard

Plover can be used with many different input devices, and it can be difficult to know what to look for.

Columnar layout
Steno often requires pressing keys that are next to each other in a column. Most keyboards have staggered rows, meaning that keys have an offset between rows. This can make stenography more difficult than on keyboards with a columnar layout, where keys in a column line up. You might also hear about ortholinear layouts, which means that the keys are laid out in a grid.

The List of NKRO keyboards allows you to sort by columnar keyboards.

Adapting a staggered keyboard
If you already have a staggered keyboard, you can adapt it for steno use.

Keytoppers
You can buy Keytoppers from the Plover store. These are laser-cut, steno-key-shaped foam with a sticky backing. You place these on top of your keyboard to make it easier to hit keys in a column.

You can also make your own using plastic, cardboard, or even coins.

StenoToppers
StenoToppers is a 3D printed keycap set designed by Jason Cemra. They are designed to fit on mechanical keyboards with Cherry MX key switches or compatible.

They align the columns, provide a flatter shape (easier to hit keys next to each other), and raise the keys (so it's easier to avoid hitting the spacebar).

StenoToppers are only available through 3D printing. If you don't have a 3D printer, you can use a 3D printing service or try your local library or university.

NKRO
Stenography often requires you to press 5 or 6 keys at once, and sometimes as many as 16. Unfortunately, most keyboards only recognise up to 1 to 6 keys at once. The number of keys you can press at once is called the roll over, and NKRO means n-key rollover, meaning you can press all the keys at once.

NKRO is more common in gaming keyboards or high end keyboards, and less common in laptop keyboards.

Check if your keyboard has NKRO
You can check your keyboard rollover using this online tester. The important keys to test are the number row (from 1 to -), the top two letter rows (from Q to [, and A to ') and C, V, N, M.

It is common for keyboards to have 2KRO or 6KRO. It is also common for certain large combinations of keys to work, but not all of them.

Using a keyboard without NKRO
It isn't ideal, but you can learn the basics of stenography without NKRO. There are two different methods:

Manual arpeggiation
This is easier to do if your keyboard has slightly higher rollover, and only possible to do if you have at least 2KRO. It's called arpeggiating because it's a bit like playing arpeggios on the piano.


 * 1) Press a number of keys in the chord, but not more than the rollover
 * 2) Let go of some of the keys, always making sure that at least one key is held at a time
 * 3) Add in some more keys of the chord, making sure that you don't go over the rollover
 * 4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all keys in the chord have been pressed at some point
 * 5) Let go of all the keys

Plover arpeggiation
Plover comes with arpeggiation support.

To turn it on:


 * 1) Open the main Plover window
 * 2) Click Configure
 * 3) Go to the Machine tab
 * 4) Make sure the machine is set to keyboard
 * 5) Check the Arpeggiate option

To use it:


 * 1) Press the keys of the chord one at a time (you can do more if you have higher rollover)
 * 2) When you are done, press the spacebar to submit the chord

Keycaps
Keycaps are often tapered at the top, making a gap between keys at the top. This can make it hard to press keys that are next to each other.

Use flat keycaps
For MX compatible keyboards you can replace your keycaps:


 * G20 from Signature Plastics
 * F10 from Signature Plastics

Turn your keycaps around
Some keycap sets have different shapes for each row. If you look at the keycap sideways, you can see that it is lower on one end than another. You can turn your keycaps around to make it easier to press keys that are next to each other.


 * Turn the top row (not numbers) around 180 degrees so that it's easier to hit keys in a column
 * Turn the vowel key pairs 90 degrees to face each other so that it's easier to hit both vowel keys with the same thumb

Remove keys that get in the way
It's common for the spacebar to get in the way, especially when you are pressing the vowel keys. You might prefer to remove the spacebar while practicing.

Key switches
The kinds of key switches that are best for stenography are not always the same as the best switches for typing.

Linear switches
Most people prefer linear switches for stenography. These are usually the "red" variant.

This is because you are pressing multiple switches at once and getting the feedback from all the switches at once isn't useful.

It's also very common to "bottom out", so having other feedback is not useful.

Light switches
With stenography you are often pressing multiple keys at once. For a word like glue, you are pressing 8 keys with your left hand. This means that you are using 8 times the amount of force as you need for a single key. For a 80g switch, that's 640g.

Hobbyist keyboards use between 12g and 35g switches.

Spring swapping
Depending on your keyboard, it might be possible to open up the switch and swap the spring that's inside for one that requires less force. You can sometimes open up the switch without needing to remove the switch from the board.

15g or 20g SPRiT springs are often recommended.