I'm either going to use the pin prick method or the trace and transfer method but my question is:

Do I thin my buttercream a little bit to fill in? It looks like you do a back and forth motion for the inside after you do your outline but I don't want the lines to show up that much.

Can I also do the Viva method on top after it crusts to get a smooth finish?

How do I do these methods and get a smooth look?

Thanks so much for all the help. I don't decorate many cakes and they always make me nervous when I have to do one.

What exactly is the design you are transferring? Is it something you could make with a frozen buttercream transfer? I find them very handy in recreating designs.

I could do a FBCT but I havn't had much luck with those. The black outline is never quite right. Sticks to the paper too much. Always breaks too and then I lose the small details.

I've always had great luck with the FBCT method. What is the icing recipe you use? I use the one in the articles here on this site and have never had a problem with sticking (I use waxed paper)

One trick I learned for the black icing in a FBCT is to use canned chocolate icing which you then dye black - it seems to be the perfect consistency to prevent sticking. I never use canned icing except for outling in FBCTs and I've never had issues with the black sticking. I think I learned this in an old thread here on CC.

Great tip, CakeTopper! I HATE tinting just a small amount of black for my outlines. I would never have thought to start with chocolate canned icing. Genius!

I used piping gel with black, and I found it stuck alittle but not much....my boxer cake in my photos is done in pin prick and he had alot of detail.....but I did mine in tiny tiny stars to give him the ruffled look.