-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
Technical Layer Reference
Jacob Gable edited this page Dec 21, 2025
·
1 revision
Technical reference to all layers on the keyboard. Layers 1/2, 3, 4, and 5 are the layers that are most commonly used for day-to-day typing.
- Layer 1 - Primary typing layer
- Layer 2 - Colemak layer
- Layer 3 - Cursor and shortcuts layer
- Layer 4 - Numbers, symbols, and function keys
- Layer 5 - Keyboard settings and media controls
- Layer 6 - Mouse cursor controls
- Layer 7 - Math symbols
- Layer 8 - Unused layer
- Layer 9 - Gaming layer
- Layer 10 - Gaming chat layer
Primary typing layer with the alphabet.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| Q | W | E | R | T | | Y | U | I | O | P |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| TAB | A | S | D | F | G | | H | J | K | L | ; | ' |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| SFT | Z | X | C | V | B | | N | M | , | . | / | S/E |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| (/S | BKS | =/C | | -/A | SPC | ) |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
TAB- Tap:
Tab - Hold: Toggle Layer 4 while held.
- Tapping Term: 200ms (default)
- Tap-or-hold mode: Hold on other key press
- Tap:
-
'- Tap:
' - Hold: Toggle Layer 4 while held.
- Tapping Term: 125ms
- Tap-or-hold mode: Default
- Tap:
-
BKS- Tap:
Backspace - Hold: Toggle Layer 3 while held.
- Tapping Term: 150ms
- Tap-or-hold mode: Hold on other key press
- Tap:
-
S/E- Tap:
Enter - Hold:
Shift - Tapping Term: 200ms (default)
- Tap-or-hold mode: Hold on other key press
- Tap:
-
)- Tap:
) - Hold: Toggle Layer 5 while held.
- Tapping Term: 200ms (default)
- Tap-or-hold mode: Default
- Tap:
-
=/C- Tap:
= - Hold:
Ctrl - Tapping Term: 150ms
- Tap-or-hold mode: Hold on other key press
- Tap:
-
-/A- Tap:
- - Hold:
Alt - Tapping Term: 150ms
- Tap-or-hold mode: Default
- Tap:
-
(/S- Tap:
( - Hold:
Super - Tapping Term: 200ms (default)
- Tap-or-hold mode: Default
- Tap:
-
/- Tap:
/ - Hold: Toggle Layer 2 when held for a period.
- Tapping Term: 300ms
- Tap-or-hold mode: Permissive hold
- Tap:
-
,- Tap:
, - Hold: Toggle Layer 7 when held for a period.
- Tapping Term: 300ms
- Tap-or-hold mode: Permissive hold
- Tap:
-
.- Tap:
. - Hold: Toggle Layer 9 when held for a period.
- Tapping Term: 300ms
- Tap-or-hold mode: Permissive hold
- Tap:
See the QMK Docs for more information on tapping terms and tap-or-hold modes.
Colemak layer.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| Q | W | F | P | B | | J | L | U | Y | ; |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| | A | R | S | T | G | | M | N | E | I | O | |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| | Z | X | C | D | V | | K | H | | | / | |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| | | | | | | |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
/- Tap:
/ - Hold: Untoggles Layer 2 when held briefly.
- Tapping Term: 300ms
- Tap:
Cursor layer, common shortcuts, and a few other keys.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| PgU | HME | Up | END | C+0 | | | | | | |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| CAP | PgD | LFT | DWN | RGT | C+= | | | ESC | SUP | DEL | ~ | |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| | CTL | ALT | CST | CT | C+- | | | | | | | |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| | | | | | CBK | ACT |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
PgU: Page Up -
PgD: Page Down -
HME: Home -
END: End -
LFT: Left Arrow -
RGT: Right Arrow -
UP: Up Arrow -
DWN: Down Arrow -
C+0: Ctrl+0 (Reset Zoom) -
C+=: Ctrl+Plus (Zoom In) -
C+-: Ctrl+Minus (Zoom Out) -
CAP: Caps Lock -
CST: Ctrl+Shift+Tab -
CT: Ctrl+Tab -
SUP: Super key -
CBK: Ctrl+Backspace -
ACT: Toggle auto-correct
Numbers, symbols, and function keys.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| ! | @ | # | $ | % | | ^ | & | * | + | | |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| ` | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | \ |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | F6 | | F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 | F12 |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| [ | | { | | } | | ] |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
Keyboard settings and media controls.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| HFR | HFT | HFB | HDD | HDU | | BRU | PRV | PLY | NXT | |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| LN | LT | LHU | LSU | LVU | LPU | | BRD | VLD | VLU | VMU | CLC | |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| LP | L-6 | LHD | LSD | LVD | LPD | | BT | | | | | |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| | | | | | | |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
HFR: Haptic feedback reset -
HFT: Haptic feedback toggle -
HFB: Haptic feedback toggle buzz mode -
HDD: Haptic feedback decrease intensity -
HDU: Haptic feedback increase intensity -
LN: LED next effect -
LP: LED previous effect -
LT: LED toggle -
LHU: LED hue up -
LHD: LED hue down -
LSU: LED saturation up -
LSD: LED saturation down -
LVU: LED value up -
LVD: LED value down -
LPU: LED speed up -
LPD: LED speed down -
BRU: Screen brightness up -
BRD: Screen brightness down -
PRV: Previous track -
PLY: Play/Pause -
NXT: Next track -
VLU: Volume up -
VLD: Volume down -
VMU: Mute volume -
CLC: Calculator -
BT: BOOT button - puts the keyboard in bootloader mode for firmware flashing -
L-6: Toggle Layer 6
Mouse cursor controls.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| | MS1 | MWU | MS2 | | | | MS4 | MSU | MS5 | |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| | | MWL | MWD | MWR | | | | MSL | MSD | MSR | | |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| | SFT | L-6 | | MS3 | | | | | | | | |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| | MA1 | CTL | | ALT | MA2 | |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
MS1: Mouse Button 1 (Left Click) -
MS2: Mouse Button 2 (Right Click) -
MS3: Mouse Button 3 (Middle Click) -
MS4: Mouse Button 4 (Back) -
MS5: Mouse Button 5 (Forward) -
MWU: Mouse Wheel Up -
MWD: Mouse Wheel Down -
MWL: Mouse Wheel Left -
MWR: Mouse Wheel Right -
MSL: Mouse Move Left -
MSR: Mouse Move Right -
MSU: Mouse Move Up -
MSD: Mouse Move Down -
L-6: Untoggle Layer 6 -
MA1: Mouse Acceleration 1 -
MA2: Mouse Acceleration 2
Math symbols.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| ⅟ | ½ | ⅓ | ¼ | ⅕ | | ⅙ | ⅐ | ⅛ | ⅑ | ⅒ |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| ⁱ | ¹ | ² | ³ | ⁴ | ⁵ | | ⁶ | ⁷ | ⁸ | ⁹ | ⁰ | ⁿ |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| | ∀ | ∃ | ∈ | ∋ | ⁺ | | ∧ | ∩ | , | | | |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| ⁽ | | ⁼ | | ⁻ | | ⁾ |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
Basically unused right now, no way to toggle it.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| | | EEC | | | | BT |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
EEC: Clear EEPROM -
BT: BOOT button - puts the keyboard in bootloader mode for firmware flashing
Gaming layer.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| ESC | Q | W | E | R | | F1 | F2 | F3 | F5 | F11 |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| TAB | 1 | A | S | D | F | | | | | | | |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| CTL | SFT | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | | | | , | / | |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| T | SPC | ALT | | | | |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
,: Untoggles layer 9 when held -
/andT: Enters "chat" mode, untoggling Layer 9, and toggling on Layer 10.
Gaming chat layer.
,-----------------------------. ,-----------------------------.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
,-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----| |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | ENT |
`-----------------------+-----+-----+-----. ,-----+-----+-----+-----------------------'
| | | | | | | |
`-----------------' `-----------------'
-
ENT: Sends the enter key when pressed, then untoggles Layer 10 and toggles Layer 9, which exists chat mode.