One of the big mouse pad customizations that I think people don’t take advantage of is customizing the material. There are many different types of materials, and which you use will depend on what you want to do with it.
Types of custom mouse pads
There are two main classifications for custom mouse pads: hard-mousing surfaces, or soft-mousing surfaces. There are pros and cons to each, so depending on your preferences/needs you might choose one over another.
Hard Mouse Pads
Hard mouse pads use a plastic coating over a foam interior with either an extremely slick surface or an extremely rough one. The slick ones require little in the way of maintenance beyond wiping them down occasionally while the rough ones require some sort of occasional re-application like a spray or a burnishing.
Some common hard mouse pad materials include:
Hard Plastic –
This is the most common custom mouse pads material. It’s made by taking a PVC sheet and then using either an extruder or a calendaring system to create the surface texture on it. The effectiveness of this method depends on how much time was spent making sure that there are no imperfections in the mousing surface, as well as how smooth the original sheet was before going through any sort of texturizing process. A low quality would be very easy to scratch and have poorer control over your movements while a higher quality custom mouse pad would have more consistent gliding, less chance of scratching, and a nicer feel.
This is the most common custom mouse pads material. It’s made by taking a PVC sheet and then using either an extruder or a calendaring system to create the surface texture on it. The effectiveness of this method depends on how much time was spent making sure that there are no imperfections in the mousing surface, as well as how smooth the original sheet was before going through any sort of texturizing process. A low quality would be very easy to scratch and have poorer control over your movements while a higher quality custom mouse pad would have more consistent gliding, less chance of scratching, and a nicer feel.
Aluminum –
An aluminum custom mouse pad is another popular choice for gamers who want a custom mouse pad that feels smooth and has a consistent gliding. The downside to this is that it requires regular maintenance, as the custom mouse pad will wear down over time with extensive use.
An aluminum custom mouse pad is another popular choice for gamers who want a custom mouse pad that feels smooth and has a consistent gliding. The downside to this is that it requires regular maintenance, as the custom mouse pad will wear down over time with extensive use.
Ceramic –
If you’re looking for something super hard and super slick, ceramic custom mouse pads are what you’ll want to go with! They feel almost like glass against your hand but provide all of the benefits of the other materials listed above. Like aluminum, they do require some regular maintenance to keep them looking and feeling their best.
If you’re looking for something super hard and super slick, ceramic custom mouse pads are what you’ll want to go with! They feel almost like glass against your hand but provide all of the benefits of the other materials listed above. Like aluminum, they do require some regular maintenance to keep them looking and feeling their best.
Soft Mouse Pads
Soft custom mouse pads use a cloth-like material as the base with a variety of different surfaces on top. This type of custom mouse pad is generally more comfortable to use for extended periods of time, as it takes pressure off of your wrist.
The downside to soft custom mouse pads is that they tend to wear down over time, especially if they are being used by multiple people. They also have a tendency to pick up dirt and oils from your hands.
Soft custom mouse pads use a cloth-like material as the base with a variety of different surfaces on top. This type of custom mouse pad is generally more comfortable to use for extended periods of time, as it takes pressure off of your wrist.
The downside to soft custom mouse pads is that they tend to wear down over time, especially if they are being used by multiple people. They also have a tendency to pick up dirt and oils from your hands.
Conclusion:
When deciding on custom mouse pads it’s important to consider your intended usage. If you’re not planning on using the custom mouse pad for an extended period of time, then a soft custom mouse pad would be alright. However, if you want something that will provide better accuracy and consistency, I’d suggest either ceramic or aluminum custom mouse pads. A combination of different materials is also possible but they will generally be more expensive than custom mouse pads with just one material type in them.