I am doing, yet again, another retirement cake and four more to come in May including a change of command. I am so OVER using the Wilton Letter Press! I despise it actually!!!!
I seem to remember some of ya'll on here mentioning printing out a different font/script already to size for the cake, then poking holes throughout all the lettering and then placing that on the cake and then repoking into the icing! Am I understanding it correctly??? 
Any help would be great as I really need to improve my cakes in this area (one of many I should say) .
Amy
I don't know about the transfer idea for the lettering. Sounds promising though.
I usually just write on the cake. One thing that i have found though is that if you write like you would on paper, your writing has a tendency to curve in an arc. whereas if you write straight up (turn the cake sideways so that you will have to write from close to your body to farther away) This works because you aren't writing "around" your body.
I am concerned about keeping my letters proportionate! I really really stink at writing on cakes!!!!!!!! Of course anything has to be better than Wiltons letters!!! 
I never thought about turning the cake sideways. That makes a lot of sense!!! You must have aced penmenship (sp right???)!
Amy
LOL amy,
I love playin with calligraphy every once in a while. And when I was younger (boy this'll really tell everyone how old i am) I liked to make those kewl balloon letters n such. Still love playing with fonts n such ( not computer ones though) I would really like to learn how to do the disney font sometime.
Lately, I have been doing a ghettoized type of lettering on boy cakes. They seem to really get a kick out of it.
I get compliments on my handwriting....I thought cake writing would be my strong suit. I had the most HORRIBLE cakewriting in the class of 14. I just couldn't get it right.
What helps me, since I don't trust my freehand, is to use a skewer or toothpick and lightly etch the words, then I go back with icing.
The template idea sounds promising, though.
Angie
I am relatively new, but I remember seeing alot of potential in the piping gel. I think it was in wilton I book, you were to trace a rainbow on wax paper then turn it over on your frosted cake and gently go over the top with your dry paint brush, it leaves the marks to see, but not thru the icing. Remember if you use the computer to print it out you are gonna want to make it a mirror image. - Jennifer
Maybe this will help. Go to sugaracks pictures, look at the black and white one. In the comments she explains how she writes on cakes. I can't wait to try it myself.
ml
Maybe this will help. Go to sugaracks pictures, look at the black and white one. In the comments she explains how she writes on cakes. I can't wait to try it myself.
ml
Thanks! That's exactly the technique I am talking about! I really hope this works as I have nothing to practice on first. The styrofoam is a really good idea!
Thanks all so much!!! The cake is due Friday so I'll post it then! Wish me luck!!!
Amy
Just go to "memberlist". Enter sugarshack, then click on her member name and you'll get her photo gallery!
Very cool cake. She's the one that just did that really cool and colorful sculpted tiered topsy turvy cake all though it isn't topsy turvy. I don't know what you call it!
Amy
gee Thanks!
I'm not great at writing either. Some of my cakes like the "sandra" one....I printed out the name in reverse and put a sheet of wax paper on top and piped the letters. I waited for them to crust and I flipped it over on the cake where I wanted the name...and pressed and pealed the wording on....Otherwise....my had writing stinks. Thanks for the compliments!!! 
I do something similar to mrs. fish...when I want a really unusual font or a hard to write font...I print it out in the appropriate size for the cake from my comp. and reverse the image (before printing ) and then I put parchment paper over it (wax paper is too thin) and then pipe with clear piping gel...allow it to sit for 10 min. or so and it firms up a bit.....then I flip it over on top of the cake and it leaves just a trace of the piping gel..just enough so I can go over the letters with the buttercream and the font is perfect and everyone thinks you're a genius LOL Or you could do the whole needle technique......I've heard of people just putting the piece of paper with the words printed out onto a pillow and then poking a needle through the peper following the outline on the paper.....then putting the paper onto the cake (once the icing has crusted ) and the pin pricks make the paper in the back stick out slightly around the hole...leave a little connect the dots on your cake frosting that you can then use to trace to make your letters......or any picture for that matter....haven't tried this method yet...but it seems like it would work!
The pin prick method does work but it helps if you have short words and few of them on a large surface. I had to have mine at a 48 in order to get the name and all on the cake. It's an 11/15 and there's not a whole lot of space from left to right when you have to put their rank/rate and name. On my next cake (I'll have a larger work surface) I'll have to try the gel transfer method!
Thank you everyone! I'll post pics when I get done with the cake later today so check back!!!!!
Amy
Hi Amy....I feel your pain about writing on cakes! I through out my Wilton letter presses years ago! I now also use the pin-prick method to transfer the script to my cakes....take a look at the retirement cake I made for one of my daughter's teachers last month (I think it's the sixth row down, middle pic). I printed out the message and poked holes around the writing, then just laid the paper on the crusted buttercream, and gently rubbed around the lines....when you pull the paper off, voila...you have dotted lines to follow!
Cammie
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