kit images
kit images
MTNU Modern Dolch®
$15 off when you buy Modo & Modo Light
Introducing MTNU Modern Dolch®: a refreshed take on the modern classic design. Originally produced in the CYL profile, this popular set is now available in the sleek MTNU profile, offering a subtle evolution in style and comfort. Upgrade your setup with MTNU Modo® and Modo® Light and experience a fresh twist on a classic favorite.
Deskhero - Canada
Oblotzky Industries - EU
Prototypist - UK
Daily Clack - AU
Geon Works - Korea
Swagkeys - Korea
iLumkb - SEA
KBDfans - China
Let me reintroduce myself...
MTNU MODO® & MODO® LIGHT
MODERN CLASSICS REIMAGINED
The original GMK Modern Dolch® keycap set was a fresh, modern reinterpretation of the iconic Dolch colorway, replacing the warmer brown-gray tones of the vintage set with cooler, contemporary greys and striking accents. Following its success, we collaborated with Janglad and introduced Modo® Light, a light variant that quickly became a favorite as well.
Now, we’re taking the Modo® collection in a different direction by pairing this modern classic with the MTNU profile—matt3o's modern take on a vintage keycap design. Even though Dolch was originally made for Cherry® profile, Modo® in MTNU makes for a seamless fusion of two different vintage inspirations, blending the best of both worlds for a truly unique typing aesthetic. We are excited to bring Modo® back in doubleshot after a 4 year absence!
IN COLLABORATION WITH HIBI & MVKB
Metal Artisan Keycaps
We teamed up with MVKB to create a unique metal artisan keycap to accompany both MTNU MoDo® and Modo® Light. The spherical MTNU profile didn’t allow for the iconic teal square design in the bottom corner, due to the rounded edges of the keycap. However, MKVB’s design strikes the perfect balance, delivering the vintage-inspired look that Modo® deserves. The keycap design takes inspiration from the iconic forehead of the G80-1813 keyboard, featured in the Dolch PAC computers—the original home of the Dolch colorway.
THE BIRTH OF THE CULT CLASSIC
Modern Dolch®
In 2018, when we had only been in business for a year, designer Janglad approached us with his vision to modernize the iconic Dolch colorway — a beloved classic in the mechanical keyboard community known for its rich history and timeless aesthetic. His idea was to bring it into the 21st century with cooler gray tones, a fresh teal accent, and a stunning rosy red accent, creating a perfect blend of past and present for the evolving world of tech accessories. This also marked the first project in the community to include a metal artisan keycap featuring a theme-specific design.
The result was GMK Modern Dolch®, which quickly became a sensation. By the end of the groupbuy, it had sold a record-breaking 500 base kits — the highest the mechanical keyboard community had ever seen at the time. While small by today’s standards, this milestone was monumental for the community, for us as a small business, and for Janglad as a designer. Together, we had made our mark.
IT'S EVOLVING!
Modo® Light
After the success of Modern Dolch, we found ourselves asking, “What’s next?” Should we run the set again or explore something new? What began as a joke quickly became reality, and Modern Dolch Light was born. This time, in collaboration, Janglad and G Bur (founder of Omnitype) crafted a stunning palette of soft grays and lighter accents, creating a “light mode” version of the original set. We also introduced the famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) horizontally-centered icon mods.
The response was overwhelming. Modern Dolch Light sold over 1,000 base kit units in the first 24 hours, once again setting a new record as the highest-selling keycap set in the mechanical keyboard community at the time with 3,000+ base kits worldwide (over 6,000 total kits).
Running it back
GMK MODO® 2
With one successful run of each colorway and extras selling out in seconds, the aftermarket for Modo® was booming, with sets going for over $350 each! The community was growing rapidly, and what once felt like large numbers couldn’t keep up with the demand. So in 2020, we brought GMK Modern Dolch® back for another run.
As always, we aimed to improve the design, enhancing compatibility and introducing more child kits to suit nearly any keyboard. We also introduced a new base colorway, Modo® Mist, which featured all teal legends in place of the standard white. This round was a massive success, selling over 8,600 base kits and 16,000 total kits worldwide, once again breaking the record for the best-selling set in the community.
Despite the large number of sets, the extra stock sold out in just a couple of months—remarkable at the time, as extras usually sold out within hours. This marked the moment we committed to stocking more extras to make the sets less elusive after the group buy.
The dyesub era
OTC MODO® LIGHT
t had been a while since the group buys of both Modern Dolch® and Modern Dolch® Light, and the community was shifting toward more in-stock products. To meet this demand, we decided to produce Modo® Light in dye-sub PBT. This allowed us to order larger quantities at a lower cost than GMK double-shot and the product be in-stock, which was very uncommon at the time. After months of searching for a manufacturer that met our standards, we launched OTC Modo® Light in summer 2022, and it quickly sold out multiple times, proving to be a great success.
We never produced the dark version of Modo® in dye-sub due to the need for reverse dye-sublimation, where everything but the legend is printed. This method is required when the legend is lighter than the base color, but it’s significantly more expensive, and we were never able to reduce costs enough to make it viable for customers.
This experiment did allow us to rework some of the colors in the Modo® Light palette for a much more cohesive feel to the set. We lightened up the modifiers and the teal color.
The return to double-shot
MTNU MODO®
What happens when you blend a modern take on a vintage colorway with a modern twist on a vintage profile?
You get the perfect marriage of modern and classic—a refined design deeply rooted in its original inspiration. Even though Dolch is traditionally tied to the iconic Cherry® profile, it seamlessly fits into MTNU. So much so, it feels like it was always meant to be this way.
For Modo® Light, we decided to tweak two of the colors to better align with our original vision, which didn’t quite come through in the first run. The teal accent has been lightened slightly to create a better complement to the classic Modo® teal. We’ve also lightened the modifier base to achieve a more cohesive contrast with the alphas, ensuring the entire colorway blends together in perfect harmony rather than standing out as separate shades.
We’ve distilled the best elements from past Modern Dolch® runs to create a streamlined lineup of kits. This time, we’re offering base kits in both the OG Modo® and Modo® Light colorways, released simultaneously, along with an accent kit featuring mono accents. And for the first time ever, we’re introducing dedicated base kits for Mac users!
Deskhero - Canada
Oblotzky Industries - EU
Prototypist - UK
Daily Clack - AU
Geon Works - Korea
Swagkeys - Korea
iLumkb - SEA
KBDfans - China