I am looking for a 4" cutter for the 50 four inch cake order I have next month...
I told her I would put a 4" cake in personal 5" boxes. So my board will be 5" as well. (they are hard to find but I think I found a site that has them....) Anyway I am looking at cutters and I am wondering, should I buy a 4" cutter and then the icing will go almost to the edge, or would it be cheating the customer to actually cut the cakes 3.5" and then ice them to measure 4" so that there is a decent edge around the side? Probably 3.5 inches right? I'm thinking it would look best but I do not want to cheat the customer if I told her 4" cakes... she won't measure them though so if they fit snugly into the 5" box that is what matters right?
Why don't you just ask the customer if she would mind? I personally don't see where there would be a problem, but If I was the customer I would want the choice to be mine.
I would definitely go with what will LOOK the best. You can always bake a taller cake to compensate if you truly feel you are cheating the customer. But the overall final appearance is what will be noticed, and packaging is the other part of the whole 'eye candy' thing.
Besides, they will be easier to handle and get into all those boxes, leaving clean edges on both the boards and the boxes. You didn't quote her 4" cake WITH some frosting, so just add enough frosting to get to her final size. What's a cake without frosting? 
(To Daisy...) True...however after iced the cakes will actually be measuring 4"...so she would be getting "a 4" cake" but it will not be 4" under the icing...
A 3.5" cake means a quarter inch icing on all sides gives a 4" cake. Then the border will take it out nearly to the edge. What do you think?
I don't necessarily want to ask her because not sure if the customer would understand the question (I have asked petty questions before and the customer seems to think I'm trying to change something under their nose and I'm really not...)
I think that's an entirely reasonable interpretation--a 3.5" cake with icing to take it to 4" wide. Icing is part of the cake package she ordered. As long as the entire package is 4" in diameter, you're in great shape, and you're not cheating the customer in any way.
I would go with the 3.5 in cakes. It is your name one the line so you want something that will bring in more business. I wouldn't ask the customer if it were me, I don't think that they would understand the question either.
I do the same with my 9 X 13 cakes as the cake box is 10 X 14 so if I didn't cut a little off then my sides and borders would be crushed in the box and probably won't get as much in repeat customers.
Just my opinion. 
Kita girl, I'm still new to decorating so if my answer seemed dumb I'm sorry. Once you've explained it lol I think the 3.5 would be fine b/c then she wouldn't be cheated. I think I misunderstood what you were saying at first. Sorry newbie mistake
I think I would go with 3 1/2 as well and ice it to 4" or close to it. The presentation is key and finger prints in the icing because it's too close to the cake box would not make a nice presentation 
I would also not ask the customer about it. She would probably not understand and then might get out the ruler and start measuring all 50 of them!
What kind of cake boards are you going to use? Just wondering if they make fancy ones or are you just using the white cardboard circles?
The only 5" cake boards I found are on Sugarcraft, they have one side silver embossed, which is cool since I won't have to wrap each one. Only I accidentally clicked the 4" instead of the 5" so sent a couple emails begging that they fix it real quick. 
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