Can a normal printer be used for edible printing?
Yes. The printer must be brand new and not used with ordinary ink nor will be used for ordinary ink in the future to prevent contamination. For an image to be edible it must be made from edible paper, ink, and using an edible printer. Once a regular inkjet printer has been used to print with regular ink cartridges (ink that is not deemed safe for consumption by the FDA) the printer is not safe to be used for edible printing.
Most printers used for edible printing are Canon models. This is because they have removable parts that allow for cleaning and prevent sugar clogging.
However, Canon do not fully endorse the use of edible inks. By using edible inks for their printers, Canon can void your warranty.
What kind of paper do you use?
As with regular print jobs, you have a selection of papers to choose from. The most common are:
• Icing sheets: These are thin layers of icing, usually flavoured with vanilla, that are smoothed onto a plastic backing. This allows the icing to be fed into a printer easily. This paper is best for photographs and designs that need to blend in well with icing that is already on the cake. The icing simply melts into the icing on the cake, leaving just the image behind. Remember to remove the backing before you place it on your dessert, and ensure you smooth the image as you go along if it's a large image.
• Wafer paper: This is also known as rice paper, though it can be made from both potato and rice starches. The starchiness of the paper means it holds its shape really well, unless it gets wet. It does tend to blur images, so it's best for abstract designs or background textures, where sharp lines aren't as necessary. They also tend to be significantly cheaper than icing sheets.
Whichever paper you choose to work with, you'll have a range of choice. Manufacturers today print all sorts of designs and images on their icing sheets and wafer paper. You can choose pre-printed designs, including ones you colour in yourself, or use blank paper. You can opt for anything from zebra stripes to watercolour flowers, and they even have pages filled with pre-cut circles or other shapes, just to make decorating that bit easier.
Yes. The printer must be brand new and not used with ordinary ink nor will be used for ordinary ink in the future to prevent contamination. For an image to be edible it must be made from edible paper, ink, and using an edible printer. Once a regular inkjet printer has been used to print with regular ink cartridges (ink that is not deemed safe for consumption by the FDA) the printer is not safe to be used for edible printing.
Most printers used for edible printing are Canon models. This is because they have removable parts that allow for cleaning and prevent sugar clogging.
However, Canon do not fully endorse the use of edible inks. By using edible inks for their printers, Canon can void your warranty.
What kind of paper do you use?
As with regular print jobs, you have a selection of papers to choose from. The most common are:
• Icing sheets: These are thin layers of icing, usually flavoured with vanilla, that are smoothed onto a plastic backing. This allows the icing to be fed into a printer easily. This paper is best for photographs and designs that need to blend in well with icing that is already on the cake. The icing simply melts into the icing on the cake, leaving just the image behind. Remember to remove the backing before you place it on your dessert, and ensure you smooth the image as you go along if it's a large image.
• Wafer paper: This is also known as rice paper, though it can be made from both potato and rice starches. The starchiness of the paper means it holds its shape really well, unless it gets wet. It does tend to blur images, so it's best for abstract designs or background textures, where sharp lines aren't as necessary. They also tend to be significantly cheaper than icing sheets.
Whichever paper you choose to work with, you'll have a range of choice. Manufacturers today print all sorts of designs and images on their icing sheets and wafer paper. You can choose pre-printed designs, including ones you colour in yourself, or use blank paper. You can opt for anything from zebra stripes to watercolour flowers, and they even have pages filled with pre-cut circles or other shapes, just to make decorating that bit easier.
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