I have also used a fan tail brush to get my icing smooth. I bought a fan tail brush from the craft dept. just to be used on cakes. I store it with my tips and icing pastes.
To work this method ice your cake and let it crust. Then get a glass of very hot water and drip the brush into it. Slide it up the side of the glass (out of the water) to let some of the water run off the brush. Then just start brushing away any wrinkles in your cake. Have a papper towel handy so that you can wipe away the icing on the brush before you re-dip it in your water. If an area still needs work, then let it crust over and do it again.
Below is a picture of the cake that I used this method for. I actually had someone comment and ask me how I got the icing that smooth 
Here is a picture of one:
http://63.210.199.178/09/77/2/97721.jpg.fpx?qlt=70&wid=144&cvt=jpeg
I hope that is clickable. This is the first time I have posted a link
Wow! Lots and lots of different techniques! I'm hesitant to try the fan brush one but I'll just have to do it and see how I like it!!!
Won't holding the putty spatula on the cake board cut and tear the board covering? I would think with the sharp edge it would just slice right through it! I'm still going to try it! I have two cakes to do for Thur and Fri so I'm going to get one tomorrow!
You all are great with these ideas!
Amy
It probably depends on what you cover your board with. It doesn't go through contact paper. But I could see it might cut through foil.
I use the poly foil covers! Maybe it also depends on the amount of pressure you put on the spatula as well. HMMMMM!!! I'm still going to try it!
Sometimes it takes me an hour to smooth the icing on my cake so anything to help the process. 'Course I am pretty meticulous about how I do things so that's why it takes so long sometimes.
Amy
I am the same way, and it took me one try to get it smooth with this method!
No I use an angled spatula on top and then smooth the top with a Viva paper towel if needed.
But I do the sides first and then push the excess icing over the edge of the cake top and blend the top with more icing.
Wow I cant see spending an hour on smoothing I think I'd pull out my hair 
I had tried different things and could never get it smoothed. i didnt want to try the viva method but once I did I was hooked. I even called my DH at work to tell him and I dont spend more than 15 min on the process.
Well, I want my cakes to be perfect and any imperfections in the icing's appearance is going to blow the whole look of the cake!! The cake that I just spent an hour on was 18x24 (the last retirement cake I did with the rope) so the size of the cake more than justified the time it took to smooth!!
Amy
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