Tuntematon wrote: The dye bleeding is something that can happen over time. I don't think it's a defect present at the time of manufacture, but I could be wrong. I'm not sure what causes it, but it's on all the boards in this batch. Obviously in this case, we can say that wear and UV exposure are not factors. Maybe something to do with the dye subbing process or the particular ink that was used?
Ok so it's not just me seeing things! From what I've read (yeah, I tend to go down rabbit holes of research when bored at work), slight yellow or red auras like this could be from mal-adjusted printer nozzles, which shows up after applying the ink and heating. If it's on all our boards and they're all made in May '92, perhaps it's just a case of equipment that was wearing or was in need of maintenance/adjustment.
Either way, it's a minor thing for sure. I've only had this board at work for two days, but it's quickly growing on me - I love it! I want to get another one with the black clicky switches now to try that one out at home. The dye subbed PBT key caps with that perfect balance of smooth/textured surface with a solid and stylish case are wonderful. The case has just about zero flex - even when applying significant force - and doesn't have any squeaky bits or 'floating points' where there's often no support under the top case (like under the plastic bits between Ctrl and Alt). Am I correct in assuming the case is made out of PVC, like the model M? I can see some blurs in the plastic where they fused pieces together, which I've seen in M's before, but it's a minor cosmetic issue.