I think my smoothing issues make my cakes look very unprofessional. I use a recipe half butter half hi ratio shortening that doesn't get a real good crust. A lot of the info I've found refers to all shortening icing. I don't want to change my recipe. Can anyone give me any help please. 
Here's the recipe I use. (I think I got it from this site but can't remember where) It crusts great and tastes much better than the all shortening one.
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of Crisco
2 llbs powdered sugar- sifted
1/3 cup of milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp clear vanilla
Equals amount of butter and shorterning, I use hi ratio shortening but that is not necessary. Flavorings of your choice and water (boiling water). I always do a double batch so it will be 4 sticks of butter and 2 cups of shortening with 4 tablespoons of hot water (flavorings of course). The hot water can be added any time you need it during the process of mixing everything together. This will make stiff icing and that is what you need. Get a large icing bag, I use 18 inches. Fill it up and with a number 18 tip cover the cake...I start on the side, yes I did say 18 (star tip). I do a portion of the side and take a very hot spatula. (boing water dry with a paper towel) and pass it but don't go all the way to the end of the portion you have done so you can keep going with your bag of icing and keep using the hot spatula. After finishing the side I finish smoothing with the viva towel...do the same to the top of the cake and smooth the edges with a paper towel and your hand. Once those are blended (the side and the top) take a paper towel and a fondant smoother and give it a good all over smooth and you are done...I hope you can understand this but it is technique used by Tobba Garrett on her book The Well Decorated Cake...you might want to get it. Please let me know if you don't understand. Also let me know what you think of it...
This is my completely disposable advice:
Practice. You don't have to bake a cake to practice icing. Use an inverted cake pan, or a cake dummy or anything that is a cake size/shape (you can cover with plastic wrap first)
Use IMBC icing or other non/crusting
Ice cake on a cake circle and use the edge of the circle as a guide for your icing tool.
Blob a lot of icing on top and work it over the edges of the cake. Put a lot of excess icing on and actually remove icing from the sides as you smooth.
Use a bench scraper type of straight edge tool to do the sides. I like one that has a 90 degree angle. Set it flat on the turntable with edge against the cake circle and spin the turntable.
Sweep the excess icing at the top edge onto the top of the cake.
If you want use a hot/wet or hot/dry spatula to eliminate any lines you can't live with, or, put cake in fridge and when the icing hardens rub with a finger (the warmth of your finger melts it a little and smooths it out.)
Also, look at pics of cakes in books/mags/online. The icing is not perfect without any lines. Don't necessarily go for perfection. Sometimes the more you mess with it, the worse it gets.
Happy Caking!
Not that I've ever had lumpy icing... just kidding... please God don't strike me down 
If you have already put the icing on the cake and just can't get it smooth here's what I suggest. get yourself a roll of paper towels that dont have any texture on them. No quilting no nothing. Place it on the side of your cake and run and go grab your fondant smoother. Now use the smoother just like it was fondant. Just remember every 3rd stroke or so remove the paper towel and move it around. Just make your way around the cake using the paper towel and your smoother. That should help get it alot smoother. Hope it helps 
Maybe there is something quirky with the icing I use. I have The Well Decorated Cake and I use the decorators bc recipe in it. I have used a hot knife, bench scraper, computer paper and parchment (along with a fondant smoother) and it's still not right. And yes, the more I mess with it the worse it gets. Now I'm bummed cuz everyone loves the taste of my icing, even those who don't like icing, and it's major selling point but if my cakes look raggedy... Thanks for all your help! I will keep practicing and trying different techniques. Maybe I will start doing more side designs to distract from the imperfections...
tutu girl... I am intrigued!! 
Your cakes are Fabulous!!
I have smoothing trouble as well.. just started using hi-ratio shortening.. LOVE IT!! But still add butter (1/3 butter, 2/3 shortening) because it definitely needs it for taste.. but the icing does crust. have been tryinig to get the whole viva, computer paper thing down.
How long does it take to ice with a #18?? That's a small tip.. does it take a long while? I am guessing you are talking about one steady stream and not stars...
Really only 4 TBL water for a double batch of icing????? That is stiff!!
I have been meaning to buy that book forever and now I am really getting it!!
Yes it is stiff and you need a very hot spatula it also helps if your cake is cold, I have a fridge for cakes in my garage. That way is supper stiff since it gets cold with the cake. It doesn't take long because it is a string up and down the sides and you have a whole bag filled with icing. You never go in and out the bowl with the spatula and you never get crumbs on the outside even if you do red velvel it doesn't bleed thru. I do crumb coat the cakes as normal.
Lenette, maybe your issue isn't the type of icing you're using, but the consistency. I know I tend to make the icing I spread on cakes too stiff. Every time I make a cake, I try to make the icing just a little bit thinner and I seem to have more luck every time. I'm sure the thinner it is, the easier it would be to smooth, but of course, don't want to get it too thin lol Practice Practice.
I have a question about the top edge of the layer - making it crisp looking. Is there a secret to this - how to smooth and make a nice edge at the top? I would love to get good enough not to have to put a border at the top if I don't want to! 
Thanks for any advice.
I need help with my icing melting off the sides or getting air pockets. I live in SC and it is hot a humid here lately. I am afraid to try any icing with anything other than shortning and meringue powder (I know I probably spelled that wrong) because of the heat. Anyone else have lots of experience with this?
By the way I am a newbie and am so excited to have found this web site. I had completely sworn off cake decorating until I saw all the great advice and help here. Thanks!
Where in SC are you? I am in the upstate. I have never used anything but the Wilton class icing. I do beat it extra long so it is very creamy. doesn't taste like all shortening icing at all. It always stays put. even in the near 100 degree temps we have been having.
Wow, this thread is really interesting, thanks tutugirl for sharing your technique! I am puzzled though because I always thought I should use thinned icing to ice my cake, it seems the thinner the icing, the easier it would be to smooth.
As far as the heat and humidity go, I just moved here to AL and this is the first time I have had to deal with it. I love BC with butter but I will not dare make that here, at least not now during the summer. I just recently found hi-ratio shortening and this worked awesome! It crusts REALLY well so it really held up in the heat and humidity.
Where in SC are you? I am in the upstate. I have never used anything but the Wilton class icing. I do beat it extra long so it is very creamy. doesn't taste like all shortening icing at all. It always stays put. even in the near 100 degree temps we have been having.
I live in Myrtle Beach (VERY HUMID). I have always used the icing my teacher showed me too for other people, but I do like the taste of icing with butter in it; and more creamy. My icing crusts so much it just crumbles everywhere when the cake is cut. Does everyones do that or just mine? I have used Earlene's buttercream recipie a couple of times and have had the same air pocket problems with it. The only big difference with that recipie was the cream cheese.
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