Hi,
I'm new to this site. I really enjoy reading all the posts! I am sort of new to cake decorating, dabbled in it for about a year now. What I would like to know is just what can be done with an edible ink printer? Can you just do actual photo's of people or can you also scan a picture from maybe a coloring book and then have that image printed onto the frosting paper? I am confused about this. I am thinking about buying a printer, inks, frosting paper, but I really want to be able to scan a lot of different things. Thanks for any help you can give me.
bricker
One thing I used my printer for was to print tiny accents for cakes. I had to do a Nemo cake, the little-little fish were swimming all around the tiers. I just found a page with all the fish and cut them out, much better looking then if I had tried to pipe them all.
I haven't thought about but you could print a coloring page and just attach it an then fill an pipe over. Would be neat.
I've had my printer for two years. I bought the ink an it only lasted about two months, I haven't bought any more. I'm not sure if that's normal, but that was just to high to keep buying. I was only able to print about 10 sheets, not full pages either. like I said I don't think that this is normal.
Good Luck an Happy Baking! Katie
JenniferMI Forum Fanatic
Joined: Nov 12, 2006
Posts: 1700
Location: Manistee, Michigan
Birthday: Dec 22
Posted:
Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:09 am
Katie -
Something is wrong, that is not normal.
I have done pictures of all sorts on my cakes...made edible choc. placecards for weddings...made chocolate boxes with names on them.
They are fun to use...but...can be a pain. Pricey... and they can have a mind of their own. It's really best if you use it often.
I didn't think it was normal for it to print so little. I contacted the company that I bought my ink from an they weren't real helpful. I haven't been in too big of a hurry to buy from them again an I don't know that there is anywhere else to get ink for my printer from.
I went the cheaper route an purchased a Epson an just ordered edibile ink.
JenniferMI Forum Fanatic
Joined: Nov 12, 2006
Posts: 1700
Location: Manistee, Michigan
Birthday: Dec 22
Hi Bricker and welcome to the forums. There are sooo many things you can do with Edible Ink Printing, and it can be fun to. You are only limited in printing what you can create yourself. You can do photos, vines, frames, logos little do-dads, whatever you can create you can print and use.
Katie sorry to hear about your troubles you had with your printing system. That is defenitely far from normal and bad customer service can be very frustrating. Average print counts on my cartridges are from anywhere between 50-75 sheets depending on what I am printing and now that my cartridges have auto-resetting chips on them I can refill them up to 3x before needing to replace them. Saves quite a bit of money there as well.
Jennifer thanks for the plug, we do our best to ensure everyone is happy with our products.
Bricker no matter what you do hope it works out well for you, Happy Printing and no matter what have a great time doing it. If I can be of any help or if you have specific questions just let me know. Thats what I am here for.
bricker Newbie
Joined: Oct 27, 2009
Posts: 7
Location: Vermont
Posted:
Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:44 pm
Thanks all of you for your replys to my question. I guess I will think about it for a little bit before I decide whether to invest in one. This might be something for me to consider down the road when I start selling some of my cakes. Thanks again!
bricker
I use mine for everything! It is so convenient and wonderful! I like printing out wraps for cakes. I've scanned wallpaper borders and printed them in strips and wrapped around a cake. I've done the same with print fabric. I've done the character figures that were already mentioned... print them out, lay it on a rolled out sheet of fondant, then trim with exacto knife and dry, you have stand up figures that look really cute! There are so many wonderful opportunities!
One word of warning: Don't get sucked into buying a $1200+ "system" from some company. All you need is a compatible printer (you can find a list of compatible printers at www.icingimages.com I get all my supplies from them, good people!) some edible paper, and some edible ink cartridges. Make sure you only use a printer that has not had regular ink used in it! That's important!
JenniferMI Forum Fanatic
Joined: Nov 12, 2006
Posts: 1700
Location: Manistee, Michigan
Birthday: Dec 22
Posted:
Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:36 pm
Yes, I agree, you don't need to buy an expensive printer. Shop online for the best price
Jen
bricker Newbie
Joined: Oct 27, 2009
Posts: 7
Location: Vermont
Posted:
Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:13 am
It sounds interesting, I am tempted. Melvira, sounds like you do a lot of neat things with yours. How exactly does it work...I mean, do you purchase a printer that has a scanner so that you can scan pictures and then print them out? I am interested in doing some of the things you use yours for. Specifically, I would like to be able to scan a picture of a cartoon character then print it off to put on a cake. I am not clear on how this works exactly. Can you explain to me? Can you scan any kind of picture then print it off? I see that some printers come with 4 ink colors, some five or six. What is best?
Thanks again for everyone's help.
bricker
__Martha__ Regular Member
Joined: Oct 14, 2007
Posts: 162
Location: Ontario, Canada
Birthday: Dec 20
Posted:
Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:21 am
The all-in-one machines are really inexpensive and it gives you the scanner and copying functions that may come in handy.
Having said that, I have only printed off photos which are in a .jpg format. I printed them directly from my computer to the image printer. The frosting sheets I purchased came with a product code that gives you use of a little program that you can download to your computer. It helps you size the pictures according to the frosting sheet you want to use (2 or 3" rounds for cookies, 7" rounds, or a regular 8 1/2 x 11 - frosting part is a little smaller than that though.). The program gives you the option of adding text as well.
You can also just edit your photo and add text etc in Word or a photo program and then you can print it to your image printer as you would a document (assuming you are using the full sheets, just adjust your margains accordingly).
Well, you want to start by checking out the compatible printers at Icing Images. You have to get one that has color cartridges made for it. Then you need to decide how much you want to spend of course, because these printers can run anywhere from $40 on sale, to goodness-knows-how-much. If you want to be able to scan, then looking for a compatible all-in-one would be a great idea. I've used scanned images, downloaded things from memory sticks or cameras, searched for images online, used clip art, etc. All the ways you would find an image to use. I like to use Microsoft Publisher to make my images because #1 I HAVE it, and #2 I am very familiar with how to use it. But, as mentioned, you can use something as simple as Paint or Word to make your layout.
And yes, you can print ANYTHING on an edible image. I ADORE printing out pictures of my kids and putting them on cookies as treats for people. They love it and sometimes want to save them, but the smell drives them wild and they end up devouring them! Hahaha!
If you have any specific questions, or just want more information, or even assistance on finding a compatible model, feel free to PM me, or email me. I am more than happy to help! I've even done some prints for other CC members and mailed them to them in situations where their system has been down, or they didn't have a printer and just needed a single print, etc. It is really exciting, all the things you can do with it! You'll be hooked if you try it out!
Charb31 Frequent Member
Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 273
Location: Sanger, TX
Birthday: Mar 14
Posted:
Fri Nov 06, 2009 6:39 pm
Bricker,
If you watch, Target will put the Epson NX400 on sale for like 50 bucks! The initial investment will hurt, but boy the fun you will have! I get my supplies (initial ink cartridges and frosting sheets) from kopykake, but there are alot of other companies out there. I needed to add ink, and found that it was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to buy the refills, than to buy replacement cartridges.
I just did a Chamber of Commerce mixer late this summer. There was a ranch here that wanted to get their name out for weddings, etc, so I did cookies with the ranches logo on them. I got ALOT of feedback on not just the taste of the cookie, but moreso on the logo on the cookie. I only lightly glazed the cookie, then put the logo on.
If you can see a picture, you can print it out and put it on anything.. cookies, cakes, brownies, chocolates, etc etc etc. Your limits are only as limited as your imagination.
Other than my decorating classes, this was probably the BEST investment I have made thus far.
ps.I'm making flames next week for the sides of a harley cake.
bricker Newbie
Joined: Oct 27, 2009
Posts: 7
Location: Vermont
Posted:
Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:44 pm
Wow! You guys are making me want to run right out and buy one! It sounds like a good investment plus it adds another dimension to cake decorating!
So....why do some printers have 4 color cartridges and some 5 or 6? Is one better than the other?
When you buy a printer and the icing sheets, do you get any kind of instruction booklet or anything that tells you how to use it?
Do you have to take out the cartridges after each use and clean them?
Do most of the printers have the option of buying refills for the cartridges?
Do the cartridges dry out if not used on a regular basis?
Is it best to buy the printer from an online source as opposed to, say, Staples?
Sorry I have so many questions!
You all are so helpful, this is the best site!!
bricker
You definitely should get one! I am a huge advocate for edible images. I'm telling you, I've cornered the market on that sort of thing around here because no one else does it. I love it! People love to see personalized things, so this is just a great way to really please your customers! Let me handle the questions in an organized way here...
1. Color cartridges: Every color printer is going to have 4 basic colors; Black, Red, Blue, Yellow. (The red is really more of a pink, it’s usually called magenta). “Photo quality” printers will also have 2 extra cartridges with a different shade of ‘photo cyan’ (blue) and ‘photo magenta’. Honestly, printing on frosting sheets, the print quality isn’t going to be as sharp as a photo on photo paper, so getting a photo printer is not necessary. Nothing wrong with getting that style if you find a good one on sale, but it’s not necessary if you can find a cheaper one. Some of the really fancy printers can have up to 8 cartridges and that is total overkill. You will never need anything that complex to get a good quality print.
2. Instructions: You do not really get a set of instructions, but it’s just as easy as using a regular printer. I might even have the directions that I sent to someone else still saved on my machine, I could send it to you, or I can retype it for you… it’s super easy! Just let me know if you need something like that and I’ll happily post it.
3. Cartridge removal: You do NOT need to remove cartridges and /or clean them after each print. It is a good idea to do perhaps a monthly cleaning, depending on how much you use them. If you get a ‘starter kit’ from Icing Images you will get the ink cartridges, some paper and a set of cleaning cartridges.
4. Refills: I always use the refill kit that you can purchase, it is SO much cheaper. Be aware of whether the printer you choose has ‘chipped’ printer cartridges. They are more expensive and may require a chip resetter. As far as I know, most printers will be able to utilize the 'bulk refill' kit, but I cannot swear to that. Like I said, 'chipped' cartridges may or may not work that way. I'd avoid them if they don't because new cartridges are a lot more expensive than the refill option.
5. Dried cartridges: I have never had any problems with cartridges drying out, even when the printer hasn’t been used for weeks at a time, HOWEVER, they suggest if you are not going to use it for a little while, remove and re-cap the ink cartridges. (They come with little orange caps… don’t throw them out!) I have never done that, but I guess I like to live dangerously! Haha. If you do get a print head that dries out, you can swab it with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol and it should bring it right back to life.
6. Where to buy: You cannot go to a place like Staples and purchase edible inks. Online retailers are most likely your only option. A printer for edible images cannot ever have regular ink in them. That would contaminate it and make it unsafe to eat any print that comes from it. I am even a little sketchy on whether it’s really ok to use a ‘refurbished’ printer. I say, since you can get new ones fairly cheaply, just go that route.
If I missed anything or raised any other questions, give a shout out and I’ll keep my eyes open!!
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