I was going to make a cake with a picture and get the picture printed on rice paper at this cake shop nearby. I need the cake in a couple of hours and I just found out that the cake shop requires to drop off the picture a day before. (I thought I could just walk in a get it done). So now I'm thinking, maybe I should just print the picture out on regular paper, put it on the cake and take it off right after cutting the cake. (this is for a house party, I am not selling this). So is this a bad idea? Can the ink somehow get on the buttercream and be harmful??

I would remove it before cutting the cake. I would also put down a piece of parchment paper the same size as the pic and then put the pic down over that. You should be fine.

You could get the picture laminated, and then you wouldn't have to worry about anything.

great ideas, thanks a lot!

Any ideas for putting a real picture on a cake? I have a photo printer and a picture that's way too complex for me to do in icing. The thought was to cut the picture down to an oval and put it on the cake, then put a shell or rope border around the edge to frame it. And unfortunately it's one I have to make tonight....gotta love those last minute ideas!

I think u should put parchment paper on the bottom (as someone mentioned above), put the actual picture on top, put borders around it and just remove the picture after you cut the cake. it shouldn't be a problem.