Once you’ve chosen a printer suitable for your edible printing needs, and have it set up ready to go, you may find some of these tips useful to help print perfect designs for your cakes.
Select the image you want to print – this may be a photo or design you have downloaded or an image you have created using graphics software.
Make sure you choose the edible printer model from the list of your installed printers so you print on the correct machine.
In the ‘Printer Properties’ select ‘Media/Paper Type’ and choose ‘Photo Paper’ as this will ensure optimum quality for your printed images. You can also manually adjust the colour settings to vary the intensity and brightness of the printed image depending upon your personal preference. It’s worth practising on regular paper before using edible paper or icing sheets so you are completely satisfied with the result.
Edible paper and icing sheets are delicate therefore, they require gentle handling and careful storage. Keep the sheets flat and sealed in their original foil zip-lock packaging so they do not dry out or attract any moisture. Store at room temperature (between +15 degrees to +25 degrees) until you are ready to use them.
For best results, feed icing sheets and edible paper manually into the printer from the top/rear tray. When using icing sheets, the clear plastic strip should be at the top, with the icing side facing to the front.
Once printed, leave the edible paper or icing sheet on a flat surface for 20-30 minutes to allow the printed images to dry completely before use. Printed edible paper and icing sheets can be stored in their original packaging, away from direct sunlight, for up to 3 months after printing if you do not need to use them immediately.
Remember to only use edible ink in your edible printer.
It is important to clean and maintain your edible printer on a regular basis. We recommend the following steps:
- Turn the printer on and off once a day. This will run a cleaning cycle which will keep the edible ink flowing through the print head.
- Conduct a test print at least once a week with regular paper before using edible paper or icing sheets to check ink quality and to prevent clogging.
- Every two weeks, remove the ink cartridges and clean any excess ink before replacing them back in the printer. You can also use edible ink cleaning solution cartridges to help keep the print head clean and free from blockages.
- Clean the print head every month or sooner if the printer indicates a print head clean is required.
- Keep your printer covered when not in use to prevent dust or dirt contamination.
Check out the new range of edible inks and icing sheets available now at Cartridge World and start experimenting with your printing – we can’t wait to see your edible ink printing creations.
