Layouts / latin · ANSI
Graphite
A 2022 algorithmically-generated, hand-tuned layout built for high rolls and low same-finger travel, with programmer-friendly punctuation.
Is Graphite worth learning?
There's no reliable evidence that switching to Graphite makes you type faster. The honest reason to learn it is hand comfort, not a speed edge. Typists and programmers comfortable being on the newer edge of the alternative-layout world, who want a layout tuned with modern analysis tools rather than the two-generations-old Dvorak/Colemak designs.
How long does Graphite take to learn?
Real alternative-layout timelines converge on roughly 8 WPM by day 1, 53 WPM by day 30, and parity with your old speed by around day 90 of consistent daily practice. For Graphite specifically: Similar to Dvorak/Workman: expect a few weeks to a couple of months, since nearly every letter and several punctuation keys move relative to QWERTY.
History
Created by Rich Davison in late 2022 and published on GitHub, Graphite is part of a newer wave (alongside layouts like Gallium) of designs generated with automated analyzers. Davison used a tool called Oxeylyzer to search the design space, then hand-adjusted punctuation and a handful of bigrams the analyzer couldn't judge well, refining it through his own daily use.
Strengths
- Optimized directly for roll and alternation metrics rather than hand-tuned by feel alone, then corrected by a real typist's daily-driver experience
- Punctuation was deliberately redesigned around programming patterns (avoiding awkward sequences, easing arrow-like `->`/`=>` combinations) while keeping shift-layer symbol positions close to QWERTY to limit shortcut conflicts
- Actively maintained and discussed in the modern alternative-layout community as one of the stronger post-Colemak designs
Honest tradeoffs
- Very new relative to Colemak or Dvorak: far less long-term usage data, tooling, and community troubleshooting exist
- The designer's own notes flag some awkward bigrams (BR, PH, MB) that need alternate fingerings
- A handful of punctuation keys (quote, minus, comma, slash) intentionally break the "shift gives the obvious QWERTY pair" convention, which is a deliberate tradeoff but a real relearning cost