I am terrible when it comes to writing on a cake. SOmetimes its perfect n sometimes a disaster. Anyone has tips on improving my writing skills on a cake. Pls share them

TIA,
Arwa

Wilton presses. It's the only way I can do it. There are sets with pre-set words (Happy Birthday, Anniversary, etc) and I have a set with individual letters to create my own phrasing.

I find it easier to write with candy melts. I also use a program and print from my computer!

I add piping gel to my icing. It helps it flow out of the tip better. Also, don't use your wrist like you would with a pen. Its all one motion with the whole arm. Plus I have found the faster you go the better, don't think about it! :0

This may or may not help you but as time goes on I get better at lettering and the reason is that I stopped trying to write on a cake like I would write on paper and started 'drawing' each letter like its own picture on the cake. I am sure this doesnt make sense the way I am explaining it but if you have poor handwriting and you are using your piping bag like a pen, it will be sloppy. If you just stop and try to draw each letter individually using the bag in the most comfortable position, you can draw in the shape of a letter. Sorry if it sounds confusing, but there is a big difference!

I sometimes print a font I like from the computer and tape waxed paper over it, then trace it in royal icing. They're very fragile, though, so I don't do it often, only when the writing is very important to the design.

I'm with Indydebi on this one. Also, I don't really like to write on cakes at all. I know this sounds rude, but, take a bday cake for example. Everyone knows it's someone's birthday and who's it is, why do you need to write it on a cake if the cake is totally personalized for the special person? NO OFFENCE TO ANYONE ON THIS, but I think it just looks generic. Having said this, I don't do many cakes where people insist that I write on them but when they want it, I will make a fondant plaque that they can place on the cake because although my work isn't spectacular by any means, I think of cakes as art and who would take a pen or crayon to the Mona Lisa? But, if I do have any writing to do, I use the Wilton presses. Please don't get mad at me anyone, I don't mean any disrepect at all, I'm just stating my personal preference.

keonicakes, I tend to agree with you. I did a couple of cakes for the Governor's office .... big sheet cakes, and I just decorated them. The photographer complained because I didnt' write the event on them .... that's how he kept track of what things he photo'd for the State House. So this year, (big sigh!) I wrote the event name and date on the cake .... and made a POINT to tell the photographer that I did it just for him! (He laughed with me!)

I think people tend to request it because "it's always been done that way!"

Those Wilton prsses are too small for me. Check out this thread.


http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-259773-writing.html

I use the Wilton presses some. I've found that I do better with the Wilton class thin icing with piping gel added. I also do better using a #2 tip instead of the #3 recommended in class.

Take your time when writing and pratice. It will come.

So I have the same problem and use the press. Someone told me to take a toothpick and act like it is a pen and write out your saying and then you can trace back over it with your frosting.

I agree with Meldancer. The more you think about it the harder it is. You just have to relax and just do it. I use both hands. The right with the tip and the left hold the rest of the bag and steadies the movement, working in unisonwith each other. When I train new staff I give then a piece of parchment and I tellt hem to do it over and over. Scrape it off and redo it. When it comes to writing with a piping bag it's all about practice. When a newbie has a spare minute they hit the paping bag and some parchment.

i guess i just have to keep trying! thnx guys!

I too have always thought I had to write on my cakes b/c that is the way it has always been done. Then I started looking at cakes more and the last couple of cakes I have done have had no writing. No one ever asked me "where is the writing" b/c the cakes look finished as is!

When I do do writing I use a press too, but that limits my style choices. I am thinking of the font on the computer method.

When I need a specific font (or a font that matches my cake theme) I just print it off my computer, use an exacto knife to cut out the letters and use the paper as a pattern. I trace the letters with a toothpick and go over them in a buttercream. This worked really good for the different fonts I used on a Survivor theme cake. I actually put the logo on a cake, it was great. A little much on prep time, but it's worth it!