omg...i am freaking out! i just wasted about a handful of fondant/gumpaste because my Americolor Violet was NOT Violet....TODAY! i just used this color the other day and all of a sudden it is more blue than purple!

can someone explain this to me???

oh man...part of it was the lighting...another part of it is I don't want this color but seriously, it's like i shook it and it's more blue than when I last used my violet...WTF!

Actually I completely understand! My purple hued cakes are always doing that to me. I have no idea why but no matter what they look like in person they always photograph blue...Sorry I can't help but Heres a of encouragement!

I have the same problem with violet food coloring. Check if adding some red color to the blue fondant gives you the purple color you need. Try it on a small piece of the fondant before adding red to the whole batch.

I read that it has to do with Milk in the recipe...can't quite remember exactly (hopefuly someone else will chime in) but, to keep violet or purple from turning blue- there needs to be milk, not only water in whatever recipe your using. I add a dab of whipping cream to my icings and i dont have a problem anymore.
~Blessings

thanks for the tips! my husband suggested red too. I was just sooo surprised that all of a sudden it was more blue than usual. I also added a couple more light bulbs to the living room and that changed my outlook on it

I was coloring fondant and gumpaste so I don't believe the color had anything to do with no milk...but I will keep that in mind for next time

I had that happen to me using Wilton Violet and Toba Garrett's fondant recipe. After 24 hours my tiers went completely from purple to blue.

How can you keep lavender/purple icing from turning blue when exposed to the sun?
Eva -

The ultraviolet light fades the pink/rose tones in purple/lavender icing color, so to compensate, add additional Rose Icing Color to your icing.

Found this so looks loke your on the right track.

I always have that problem when I use purple color. For me, it's easier (and better for my sanity) to use red and blue and make it from scratch.

I have this problem too! I've found that the brand of fondant/gumpaste also affects the colour so now purple is a colour that I always make in advance just in case it takes more than one go at getting the right shade.

It's called photodegradation and it sucks. You can buy no-fade Chefmaster violet and pink icing colors. In the meantime, add a little bit of airbrush violet to your fondant when mixing in the Americolor or Wilton violet or whatever you use. It will help keep it from breaking down into blue.

Photodegradation was a big problem at my bakery because of the 3 watts of fluorescent lighting per sq foot I had installed! You can buy UV blocking sleeves that slide over the fluorescent tubes to correct this problem. http://www.uvprocess.com/product.asp?code=FILTER+++I

It is affected by the removal of Red Dye #2 in the 1970's. Here's my post on the history of it (page 2), plus there's some good advice and info in this thread, too.: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=603447&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=red&&start=15