1. What is edible ink printing?
Edible ink printing is the process of using edible ink and a printer to produce digital images, such as photos, onto icing sheets or wafer paper. These can then be used to decorate confectionery items such as cakes, cookies, and chocolates.
2. What is edible ink?
Edible ink is specially formulated water-based food-grade colouring supplied in inkjet cartridges for use in dedicated compatible inkjet printers. Edible ink cartridges are available in cyan, yellow, magenta, and black.
3. Which printers work with edible ink?
Canon and Epson inkjet printers are suitable for edible ink cartridges and printing edible ink images. It is essential that only edible ink cartridges are used, and the printer is dedicated to edible printing only. The printer must not have previously used regular ink cartridges as this may cause contamination.
4. What are edible icing sheets?
Edible icing sheets work just like paper when used in your printer to create images suitable to use when decorating cakes and other food items. The sheets consist of a thin layer of white icing on one side which the image is printed onto and have a plastic backing that allows them to feed through the printer easily. The printed image is then peeled off the plastic backing before being placed directly onto the cake, or other food items, with some frosting or buttercream which helps to stick it in place. Edible icing sheets are available in A4 with pre-cut options available for round cakes and individual cupcake toppers. Edible icing sheets are gluten-free and are suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
5. What is wafer paper?
Wafer paper is edible paper made from potato starch, water, and oil. It can be used in the same way as paper, in a printer with edible inks, to produce digital images. Once printed the wafer paper decorations can be placed directly onto cakes, or other food items, using a little water to moisten slightly which helps them stick in place. Alternatively, use frosting or buttercream to attach the wafer paper decoration to the cake.
6. Are edible ink cartridges refillable?
Yes, you can refill most edible ink cartridges. Your printer will recognise when ink levels are low and alert you that the cartridges need to be refilled. Follow these basic steps to refill your edible ink cartridges:-
- Make sure you wear sterile gloves.
- Remove the edible ink cartridge from the printer and place the original cover/cradle over the bottom of the cartridge to prevent any leakage of ink.
- Take out the coloured plug and use a sterile syringe and needle to fill the cartridge with the desired colour from the edible ink refill bottle.
- Replace the coloured plug and clean off any excess ink.
- Remove the cover/cradle from the bottom of the cartridge, put the cartridge back into the printer and restart.
- If the printer does not recognise the refilled cartridge, turn the printer off for a few minutes to reset its memory and then restart.
7. How to clean and maintain a printer used for edible printing?
It is recommended to turn your edible ink printer OFF and back ON again each day to maintain print quality and prevent the print head from clogging. Edible ink cartridges contain water-based food colouring and sugar. This liquid can evaporate over time if the printer is not used frequently and may form sugar crystals which then clog the print head. Switching the printer OFF and then ON again ensures the printer will run a cleaning cycle so the edible ink flows freely and does not clog. Food safe cleaning cartridges can also be used to help clean your edible printer and keep it running smoothly.
Cartridge World has an extensive range of edible printing supplies. Order online and get it delivered to your door. Don't wait to get your perfect cake ready!
