What is a Large Key / Print Keyboard?
This may seem obvious, but actually large print and large key computer keyboards come in many varieties. Large key keyboards may have bigger individual keys, but surprisingly often don’t take up any more space on your desk than a regular keyboard.
How big are the letters on a large print keyboard?
The letters on a ‘regular’ keyboard usually take up less than half the key and are positioned in the top left corner. Conversely, a large print keyboard usually has large capital letters which almost fill the entire key, making it much easier to see them without needing larger keys.
Who would benefit from a large print or large key keyboard?
The visually impaired
Typing on a keyboard when you have a visual impairment often becomes much more difficult. After speaking with many people who suffer from poor eyesight, they’ve told us it becomes harder to distinguish the keys from each other. This makes everything from typing emails to searching online slower and can get in the way of daily life. Conditions like macular degeneration most commonly cause people to become partially sighted, however other causes include being a premature baby, glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.
Seniors / the elderly
The populations in places like Europe, USA and Japan are ageing rapidly. With an increasing number of people reaching old age thanks to advances in medicine amongst other factors, the associated consequences are growing too. Age-related macular degeneration involves the growth of new blood vessels in places where they shouldn’t be, often leading to ‘blind spots’ in the centre of someone’s vision. This of course makes it harder to type, meaning the demand for keyboards for visually impaired people has risen dramatically. Large key keyboards can also be useful for someone who’s not used to typing and perhaps is less confident with technology.
People with big hands
There’s nothing more frustrating than having big hands and having to use a fiddly gadget, often leading to doing something wrong. This certainly applies to keyboards, where pressing the wrong key can be a common mistake. A large keyboard may seem like a simple solution, but can make a world of difference to someone looking to make typing easier.
- Anyone with hand problems (like those caused by MS)
- Anyone with Dupuytren’s disease
- Anyone with Arthritis in their hands
- Anyone with Cubital / Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Many More
How do you set up a large print / large key keyboard?
Our current keyboards use a USB or wireless connection. Simply plug in the provided USB cable (which is usually sticking out the back of the keyboard on arrival) into a USB port on your computer or laptop. Most computers running any recent version of Windows or macOS should detect a keyboard has been plugged in and work straight away. If you need any help setting up your keyboard, our team is always happy to help.
Our Large Print Keyboards
We currently offer two large print keyboard options:
The Bluetooth Wireless Large Print Keyboard connects seamlessly with no wires and high-contrast keys, working across iPads, Android, Mac and PC.
For maximum contrast, the TechSilver Large Print Keyboard features bold, oversized letters on a high-contrast background, available in Yellow Keys & Black Letters or Black Keys & White Letters. It’s genuinely plug-and-play: no software or drivers needed, just plug in the USB cable and it’s ready to use, with a familiar UK QWERTY layout so everything sits exactly where you’d expect. It’s a popular pick with customers managing low vision, dyslexia, or age-related sight loss, rated 4.5 out of 5 across dozens of reviews.
Want additional advice or have questions?
Please feel free to get in touch and one of our friendly experts will be more than happy to assist you.