im a newbie and i have had a problem using buttercream and black icing gel that the icing turns out dark purple. do i just need to add alot more black gel or what can i do to get it black>

Try using americolor that's what I use comes out perfect every time. Add color a little at a time and stop when it's kinda dark grey, let it rest a few hours or over night and it should be black enough if not just add some more color. I think chef master is a good brand to use also. Wilton never works for deep rich colors. Hope this helps.

Start out using chocolate buttercream to get a nice dark black.

As previously stated, letting it set for a few hours also helps to darken it up. I have the ChefMaster gel paste color (it comes in a short jar about 2" in diameter) and it's the best I've ever used for true black. I don't however have much luck finding it.

thanks for all the help!i'm searching for these brands tonight!

whenever i need black icing i always mix the food color with chocolate buttercream as long as the client doesnt mind chocolate