How To Pipe Font Perfectly

Decorating By KarolynAndrea Updated 2 Aug 2011 , 4:09pm by angelleyes

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KarolynAndrea Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 12:53am
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I thought I would share with everyone how I get the fonts on my cakes. I came up with this technique because my hands are so shaky when I write and I could never get the words in a straight line!
First, you can go to www.searchfreefonts.com and www.typenow.net/themed.htm and download free popular fonts. I have used Disney fonts and other TV and Movie fonts from these 2 sites.
Using Word, print out the size and style of font you want to use on the cake.
Then trace it with a black sharpie so you can see it from the flip side.
Tape the paper onto a cookie sheet printed side down so you can see the font backwards.
Tape a piece of wax paper on top of the font.
Trace the backwards letters with buttercream icing.
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes or until hard.
Take it out of the freezer, lift up the wax paper and place it on the cake where you want it to be. Make sure the icing on the cake is soft enough to make an impression.
Lightly press the frozen letters onto the cake to make an impression.
Lift the wax paper and letters off the cake.
Trace the impression left on the cake with buttercream.
Sometimes when you peel the wax paper away, some of the letters may stick to the cake. But you can either take them off or pipe around them.
I hope this helps!

68 replies
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kaseyrconnect Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 1:15am
post #2 of 69

Thanks for sharing this. I am always trying to think of ways to get a message on a cake because my writing just never looks right. I will definitely give this a try.

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Donnabugg Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 2:23am
post #3 of 69

Thanks so much for sharing this with us...this is something I've struggled with too so I'm going to try this...thanks again thumbs_up.gif

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summernoelle Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 2:38am
post #4 of 69

Cool idea!

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sugarjones Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 6:50am
post #5 of 69

Genius!! Can't wait to try it!! Thank you!

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MommaBay Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 12:31pm
post #6 of 69

What a wonderful solution! I am always so scared of messing up the cake with my writing. Thanks for the tip!

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poohsmomma Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 1:59pm
post #7 of 69

Yeah, I've got the shakes, too, so I do something similar...
You can set your printer to print backwards, then you don't have to trace it.
I use royal icing to trace, and just let it get hard.

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KarolynAndrea Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 2:05pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poohsmomma

Yeah, I've got the shakes, too, so I do something similar...
You can set your printer to print backwards, then you don't have to trace it.
I use royal icing to trace, and just let it get hard.


How do you set your printer to print backwards? I have been trying to figure that out for a long time!

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delisa01 Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 2:20pm
post #9 of 69

Thanks for sharing. My writing is awful and this may help.

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PJ37 Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 2:20pm
post #10 of 69

You can also use piping gel on the reverse side and lay it on the cake. It makes a clear line to use the buttercream on... (I used this technique for several cakes in my photos...

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PJ37 Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 2:38pm
post #11 of 69

Karolyn Andrea,
I'm sure the feature re: mirror image depends on the computer and printer that you use.
I have Microsoft publisher and I can get a mirror image by going to Arrange, then rotate or flip, then flip horizontal

On the printer, you can go to Print Set up, properties, advanced, document options, then printer features, then mirror image.

Hope this helps...it might give you some ideas of where to start.

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mamawrobin Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 2:51pm
post #12 of 69

Thanks for the tip. Can't wait to try this thumbs_up.gif .

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drakegore Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 3:31pm
post #13 of 69

thank you so much for those font websites! how fun (and useful!!!).

i can get them onto my computer but i can't figure out how to access them while i am in WORD. any tips if you have the time?

thank you!
diane

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MrsAB Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 5:11pm
post #14 of 69

Awesome idea! Looking forward to using this technique.

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gourmetsharon Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 5:33pm
post #15 of 69

Thanks for sharing this!

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The_Lil_Cakehouse Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 5:33pm
post #16 of 69

This is great information!! Have you ever just used your frozen piped letters instead of going back over the impression? Like a FBCT? Just wondering if a step could be eliminated. In any event, this is awesome, I can't wait to try it!!!

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KHalstead Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 5:52pm
post #17 of 69

I've heard of also doing something similar (though I've never tried it personally) using a piece of glass or acetate (clear plastic that's flexible) and using silicone caulking made for fish tanks? Evidentally it's completely food safe and non toxic in all ways. You use the caulking to pipe letters or even patterns (think scrolls, bricks, stonework, wood grain, etc.) onto the piece of glass (removed from cheap picture frame) or sheet of acetate, allow it to set up and then you have a reuseable pattern, or if you want you can peel the silicone off like cooled hot glue would peel off (though I have heard of doing it with hot glue as well, I don't know that it is considered food safe)

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KarolynAndrea Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 5:57pm
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Sassycakes...
I find that the letters don't easily remove from the wax paper and it is easier to make the impression and trace it then to try to get the letters to stick to the cake. But if you figure out how, let me know!

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nellie0228 Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 6:25pm
post #19 of 69

That is a great tip. I am going to try that on my next cake, I have my handwriting and never seem to be able to get it all centered. Thanks!!

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2SchnauzerLady Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 6:38pm
post #20 of 69

Thanks so much for the sites for different fonts.

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Ednarooni Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 6:59pm
post #21 of 69

Thank you!!!!!!!!

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kimblyd Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 7:01pm
post #22 of 69

Thanks for the tip Karolyn, great idea. I looked at your cakes and they are very lovely. I will definitely have to try this.

Kim

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cakesweetiecake Posted 29 Jan 2010 , 7:17pm
post #23 of 69

Thanks for sharing this.

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KarolynAndrea Posted 30 Jan 2010 , 3:56am
post #24 of 69

Drakegore, to install a font into word, this is what I do. (Hope it's not too confusing)
Click the font you want, save it to your computer.
Drag it to your desktop. (Make sure you open it before you drag it on the desktop. You don't want the folder, you want the font inside the folder.)
Then I have a file on my D drive called fonts. To put this into that file, I go to My Computer, D drive. Make sure the screen is shrunk so you can see the screen and the desktop at the same time. (On a PC, click the middle button, next to the red x.)
Drag the font into the Fonts folder.
Go to Control Panel, Fonts.
Click File, Install new font.
I choose the D drive from the drop down box on the right.
Then I double click the Fonts folder on the left and the font that I just dragged into that folder shows up above. Click the font you want to install and it uploads it.
I don't know how I figured that out. I'm not great with computers, but I was playing around with it and figured it out.
I know this is confusing, so let me know if you have any questions.

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The_Lil_Cakehouse Posted 30 Jan 2010 , 4:36am
post #25 of 69

Karolyn I just looked at your photos so I could ask which font it was that you used on the Bunch Of Roses cake, and I saw the cake my customer wants me to base a recreation on--Your Safari Cake! It's the cutest thing I have ever seen! I'm glad to know who the poster is so that I can give credit!! It will be my first time doing Fondant Animals.....I know this is completely off from the original post, but did you do your animals in all fondant or add gumtex or gumpaste to it? Anyway, your cakes are beautiful!! And, which font did you use on the bunch of roses cake icon_wink.gif

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KarolynAndrea Posted 30 Jan 2010 , 2:59pm
post #26 of 69

I used Curlz MT on the roses cake. That's my favorite, I use it a lot.
And I made the animals out of MMF. Nothing added to it.
I have to make an elephant this week and I think I am going to use gumpaste because I need his trunk to stick up in the air.
So it all depends on the animal and the position you want it to be in.

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drakegore Posted 30 Jan 2010 , 3:08pm
post #27 of 69

thank you KarolynAndrea, that worked perfectly! i am busy adding my new favorite fonts onto my computer icon_smile.gif. thank you so much for taking the time to help me with it; i truly appreciate it!
diane

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Shelle_75 Posted 30 Jan 2010 , 3:38pm
post #28 of 69

I have a cake coming up next week and I CANNOT WAIT to try this out!!!

Thank you for sharing it!!

thumbs_up.gif

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DebBTX Posted 30 Jan 2010 , 3:53pm
post #29 of 69

Thank you for sharing.

-Debbie B.

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The_Lil_Cakehouse Posted 30 Jan 2010 , 4:39pm
post #30 of 69
Quote:
Originally Posted by KarolynAndrea

I used Curlz MT on the roses cake. That's my favorite, I use it a lot.
And I made the animals out of MMF. Nothing added to it.
I have to make an elephant this week and I think I am going to use gumpaste because I need his trunk to stick up in the air.
So it all depends on the animal and the position you want it to be in.




That's funny, I just made a "test elephant" And I was trying to figure out how to make it stick in the air, so I stuffed some polyfill under his trunk to see if that works.

I thought I was Curlz!! That is my favorite font ever!! icon_smile.gif

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