I bought the Italic letter press set last week. I am SO frustrated with this thing - does anyone actually use it? The letters come all connected and have to broken apart, but that leaves a little "tip" that prevents the letters from actually sliding onto the holder. I spent an HOUR cutting off all those little tips with scissors, and some of the letters STILL won't slide without getting stuck! My thumb is blistered from trying to push some of them through! I kept thinking that maybe the holder would loosen up a little after a while, but no such luck. I was thinking about "oiling" it to see if that might help, but I can't imagine what a mess that would be. Any ideas? I hope this doesn't end up being MY most usual tool purchase! 
I had the exact same problem.. I took a pair of pruners, the small kind you'd use for gardening. I keep a pair of these for cutting my dowel sticks 
I used those to trim a very little bit off the top or bottom edges of each letter.. it was very time consuming, but it did work for me.. and yes, I know how aggravating that set is to break apart and cut all those tips off of .. they seriously need to look into doing the set-up for these differently. Hope this helps!
I sooo wish my freehand writing was better I hate those things! I hate taking time to find the right ones and line them up in the little holder then half the time I wind up trying to just do it by pressing each letter into the cake by hand and my fingers hit the cake..argh!
LOL!!! I actually just remembered that I had one of those things! I should have put it under the topic of "Most Underused Gadget". I HATED it!
Honestly--what I did--was just grab a bag of icing and practice, practice, practice.
I even practiced on that 3-line paper you get in elementary school when you are learning how to write.
Also--and this is a funny one--I could NEVER write on cakes, so I used to get my mom to come over and do it for me. I am mostly left handed (I eat and write left handed--everything else is right handed). Well--one day, she was watching me decorate a cake and she pointed out that the way I was holding my bag--my right hand was dominate! Go figure! Sooooo---I switched up on how I was holding the bag and WALAAAA--I could suddenly write on cakes.
But--practice makes all the difference. I can still say that the thing I stress most about with a cake is the writing part. I can't even count the number of times I'm taken off words with a toothpick and started over again (thank goodness I learned about crusting bc here!) However, if you look at some bakery cakes--their writing isn't all that either--so I figure I'm right in with the curve.
HTH!!
Lisa
I bought one of those kits and never used it! I tried to push the letters in for about a hour and gave up. I think the letters are still stuck in the thing. What a waste of time and money! After much practice and a wedding cake that was covered in writing I don't need the kit anyway.
Heehee, well I have had the straight letter set for many years and sometimes I still use it, but I didn't have this issue with it. I did buy the other set a few months ago, but haven't removed it from the box yet. Now you have me wondering if I want to, haha! Hhmn, so I should wear work gloves when I separate the letters?
I bought the message set too, haven't used it yet. It dawned on me after I purchased it that since I do a lot of cakes for French people, it will be pretty darn useless, haha! Now you would think they would come out with a Spanish and French version, wouldn't you?
Gosh, do you think Wilton should hire us as product testers?
Hugs Squirrelly
I just bought that set too and I think it really sucks too.
I spent hours cutting those and trying to get them to fit.
And mine also are still tight.
Good luck!!!
I actually kind of like the "make any message" press sets. My writing is pretty good freehanded--as long as I have a good amount of space to put it in. Smaller writing isn't always my friend though, so that's usually when I use the press sets.
As long as I remember to press the words in before I've done any other decorating, I'm ok. I've forgotten to do that on a couple occasions, and it never fails that I end up sticking an end of the letter holder into a flower or border!
I used to put together model planes and cars and such, and the pieces for those were usually attached to a plastic piece the same way the letters in the press sets are. My dad taught me a trick for taking the model pieces apart that I still use on the letters...use a pair of nail clippers! Just twist your letters off the main plastic piece, clean a pair of nail clippers, and put the cutting edge right up against the letter piece and squeeze. Let the cutting part slide right across the plastic edge, and you'll get a clean edge every time! Then the letters fit perfectly into the holder. It's way easier than scissors and the like, and it goes pretty quick. 
I have the set but mine is the opposite, it is loose and the letters are always off somewhat. I have mine separated in a floss type box (cross stitch).
My freehand leaves alot to be desired even on paper. When I go to write on a cake, in my mind the letters look so pretty but somewhere between the mind and the hand, it comes out awful
lol stephanie214.. I can so relate to that feeling .. I still stress about writing on cakes .. I see this beautiful handwriting in my mind and then it comes out on the cake looking like a piled up glob! lol
I've practiced and practiced too .. someday it'll get better for me 
I can't tell you how frustrated I get with my handwriting. I can't keep it straight or the same height. I would hate to start using a ruler's straight edge to mark a line - but if I have to... 
I have one of those letter press sets. See how little I use it, I can't even remember which one it is!!! I used it once and couldn't get it in the slider so I had to put them on the cake one at a time. It was way too much trouble to put the message on there to realize it was off-center and have to move each letter over one by one!! I also messed up the icing.
So, yeah, unless somebody can come up with a better press, I guess I'm stuck wiping off the message each time I don't like it!!
Wilton or someone needs to make one that has all the alphabet (several of the most used letters) that click/snap together real easily so you could make any word, phrase, name.
Squirelly cakes - I totally agree that Wilton should use us a product testers! 
Haha! I tried EVERYTHING to get those letters to fit, even went so far as to cut off a little bit of the top AND bottom - oh well, I guess I'm not the only one. I'm going to mess with it some more this weekend and see if it gets any better. And thanks for the tip Marknrox - I'll see if the holder is a little bigger on one end.
Oh - that thing! I hate mine! 
I tried to put those letters in the sleave. I tried with all my strength and then the darn letter slipped out of my finger and I ended up putting a gash in the palm of my hand instead. Boy was I mad! Bleading all over the place. I threw it all back in the box and it went down in the cellar in my "stupid purchases" box. Live and learn. 
I was thinking the same about putting the letter press in that other topic..but maybe we should give it , it;s own and call it most "hated" piece of equipment..lol
Yup, just remembered I have one of those, I forgot to add it to the other thread. . . I tried using it once and it jammed up. Have had the desire to try again, maybe I'll nail clip the edges off like someone suggested.
Or mail it all messed up to Wilton and as for a refund for their crappy products like this one. This and Wilton's fondant, I'm sure weren't tested by humans. . . can't imagine a tastetester that would give Wilton a thumbs up on their fondant, well, unless they were intoxicated or being paid very well to say it was good! Bleckkkkk!
Oh boy, It's that time again. Well i too have one of those, and i have all the trouble that the most of u have. I did the cutting and trimming thing, now i have to try and see if the smaller and larger edges are on mine too>....... lol.
Boy ar e we having fun yet with all this Wilton gadgets.
Ana.
Squirelly cakes - I totally agree that Wilton should use us a product testers!
Haha! I tried EVERYTHING to get those letters to fit, even went so far as to cut off a little bit of the top AND bottom - oh well, I guess I'm not the only one. I'm going to mess with it some more this weekend and see if it gets any better. And thanks for the tip Marknrox - I'll see if the holder is a little bigger on one end.
Haha, always looking for new ways of getting my hands on products for free before I have to waste my money, haha! Hhmn, I would work for free if I got to keep the products! Employment Wanted!
Hugs Squirrelly
I had the same problem too. I used a pair of nail clippers to get the little piece of plastic off the sides.
I started using double sided tape on the holder part and sticking my letters onto it since they wouldn't slide on, but after a while, I gave up and just stamp them on the cake individually.
That's the only thing I don't like about cake decorating - WRITING!!
I cry over it.
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