Edible Ink Key Terms

Learn the terms behind the edible ink industry

If you have a company event coming up for which you will need a customized cake, consider using edible ink to make it really stand out. Whether you decorate it yourself or commission a bakery to do so, it is helpful to know the ideas behind edible ink. This kind of ink would allow you to place your company logo on the cake by simply printing out a picture of it. Get to know this type of technology better by learning the key terms behind edible ink.

 

Edible ink

An edible ink cartridge holds ink that is deemed by the FDA as safe to eat. It gets its color from simple food coloring, and is used on cakes, cookies and other desserts.
Try: Find information about edible ink at printcountry.com.

Edible paper

Edible paper is meant to be used with edible ink. It is okay to eat along with the ink because it is made of starch, such as rice. If you print out a picture on edible paper and place it on a frosted cake, the moisture from the frosting will cause the paper to dissolve into the cake.
Try: Learn all about edible paper at wiseGEEK.

Edible pen

If you do not have a printer, or perhaps run out of edible ink, you can use edible pens as backup. Edible pens are simply writing instruments filled with edible ink, and often come in sets of ten colors.
Try: Printer Ink Mills describes edible pens in an article about edible ink.

Frosting sheet

A frosting sheet is a type of edible paper, and is used by many different companies that make edible printer ink. You can place the frosting sheet into your printer, and when you place the printed sheet onto the cake, it will dissolve into the frosting to display only the image.
Try: Pastry Chef Central explains how frosting sheets work.

Compatible printer

This term means you can use a regular printer to print out edible ink, but you need to clean it well of regular toxic ink first. Once it is clean, it is considered to be an edible ink-compatible printer.
Try: Birthday Cake Central discusses how to make sure a printer is compatible with edible ink.

Dedicated printer

Though you can clean a regular printer and safely use edible ink on it, some people prefer to buy a dedicated printer. This is a printer that has never been used with regular ink. It can be specifically made for edible ink, or it can just be a brand new printer. Those making a business out of edible ink often prefer this type of printer.
Try: ArtDesignGifts.com discusses the difference between having a dedicated printer and switching between edible ink and regular ink on a printer.

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