aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! i'm getting ready to throw the whole friggin thing out the window and drive over it w/my husband's big @$$ truck!!!

I've read just about every post about how to take careof these systems...I was even sent the link about how to care for edible inks....I bought the steam cleaner thing...and i've still went through 4....YES 4 freakin print heads!!! and I'm on my 3rd set of inks. this just isn't worth it!!

And if I'm lucky enough to get the stupid thing to print......the color is HORRIBLE!!!!! I'm getting frustrated w/these...I'm about ready to take them off my option list!!! I've spent the last two days trying to print one page of images....and still doesn't work!!!

i just don't understand why i'm having so many problems. I've read all the stuff about to care for these systems and think I'm doing it right....but i just don't know!!!


one last aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! ok, now have to get back to attempting to get these stupid things printed for a cake due tomorrow!!

wish me luck!!
thanks, i feel a little better now!!

Oh pinkbunny, I'm so sorry you're having to suffer through this! What kind of printer do you have? I haven't had this problem...yet. Now I'm scared!

Have a nice stiff drink, sleep on it and try again in the morning if you can. I know what mine co$t, please don't throw it away!

amazingly enough the harvey's supermarket here only charges $5 per image & you can get them 8x10 if you want. what a steal!

Thanks, I have the Canon PIXMA iP3000 and it has 4 cartridges. I'm still working on it...but I have to get up at 4AM...so I'm off to bed and hope tomorrow will be easier!! I won't have much time to play w/it though...but I've printed out enough bad images i could throw a few of them together and maybe they won't look too bad.

Guess I'm going to just have to go back and read through everything again.....maybe I missed something!!

It would be interesting to have people post to this thread telling what printer they've got and whether they've had this or other problems with it. I just got a Canon ip1500, but it's still in the box, so I'm no help. But, I really struggled when trying to decide which one to buy. Settled on this one because it uses the cheapest ink! )

I have the Canon iP1500 also. I have had it (up and running) since October. I have had no problems to date.

However, before I got started I read several posts with people having the same problems with clogged print heads and such. I do not use my printer on a very regular basis, YET!

So, between uses I remove my cartridges, replace their covers and store them in a Ziploc bag. I also clean my print head after each use, AND run the cleaning cartridges after every 5 or 6 prints.

Word is starting to get out that I have an edible image printer. The grocery stores here don't even have one. (My local stores don't even have an on-site decorator, their cakes are shipped in!) So, I have a feeling as word spreads it will see more use!

Dont waste money on buying a fancy steam cleaner. You already have one in your home. Use the steam setting on your iron. Works wonders on clogged print heads every time. Edible ink or regular printer ink, it will loosen the clog right up.

i've never heard of using an iron. how do you do that??...hold the thing over the steam. seems like it would take forever. i went on a canon site and many of them who use edible inks say that ethynol, if i said the right, is what they use. the set it in the stuff over night and the next day no more clog. i haven't tried it yet, having a hard time finding the stuff over here.

well I never did the coloring fixed....but I ran out time. so i used the best of the worst. but i messed up on the coloring of the frosting also...so w/everything together...didn't out too bad!!!

i'm def. going to have figure out what i'm doing wrong b/c people REALLY seem to love edible images, but I'm making NOTHING off these things b/c i waste so much trying to get ONE good pic!!!! i'd hate to give them up b/c my printer and I don't get along!!

Good luck pinkbunny...don't give up, you'll get it!

Hiya diane,
ethynol is good ol' fashioned rubbing alcohol. I am also thinking that vodka or everclear would work as well too.

I've had the same trouble you do. I've had 2 printers & I can tell no difference in either. When they are printing good they are great, otherwise I've wasted countless hours cleaning print heads. I bought new print head but the problem was the ink. I learned the hard way not to refill my cartridges. Once I get the machine printing I try to print everything ahead I "think" I will need. Then, I leave my ink in the printer and print a small image every few days to keep it running. I also changed to PhotoFrost ink & cleaning cartridges to see if they're better than KK. Good luck!