Hi,
I experimented with a frozen butter cream transfer and it did not come out the way I had hoped. I drew a picture first then outlined it using black, thinned down but not too too think butter cream. I did everything like the video on youtube said to do and the end result was that the black outlines were smushed and not straight lines. Is this because I used thinned buttercream. Do I need to use stiffer icing to outline? Also, maybe I shouldn't smooth out the icing using a spatula at the end? Is that step necessary? Also, it seems like if there is detail in your picture where you would need to use a number 1 tip for skinny lines, then the FBCT is not a good way to go and is better for larger objects. Is this correct? I've seen some FBCT pictures that looked really nice so I'm confused about this.
I'd rather just draw the picture on the cake but I can't see what I've drawn with the toothpick. Even if I don't use the FBCT method in the future I still want to know how to get it right if I need to use it.

Thanks,
Julie

Here are some pictures so you can see the smushed lines.
On the one of the skates, you can see the smushed line on the skate on the left. ON the other one, her eyebrows - I did not pipe these this wide so I know it got smushed. I used a #2 tip to outline. I know I did not make this line this wide when I piped it. I'm doing something wrong and I don't know what. I've looked at other FBCT's from other people and I don't see smushed lines.
Thanks,
Julie

Hi Julie I just started making fbcts too and I had my share of issues as well. I put my transfer in the freezer between outlining and each color but was not thrilled with the way mine ended. I am interested in hearing what answers you may get. I haven't posted my pictures yet.

I'd go with a bit thicker icing. What sized tip did you use?

I think maybe a thicker icing. I use a soft medium when I do mine. I also do not add the extra layer of icing and use a spatula on mine either.

I have used a tip 1 on some very little details in an FBCT. You can see the FFA emblem in my photos. That thing took forever, but I had to use the small tip to get the all the details in with out making the emblem huge.

Me neither. A tip 1 or 2 is usually fairly thin for outlining. Maybe a thicker icing? Also, I don't do that "back layer" of icing on the back of an FBCT because it does smoosh it a lot. Also, I do all of mine on a piece of parchment paper taped to a piece of plexiglass. I tape my pic to my countertop and lay the plexiglass with waxed paper over it. That way, I can pick up the plexiglass from time to time and view it from underneath to check for errors, squiggly lines, etc. Since the underside view is what will be facing up on the cake, it's nice to be able to see it while I am working rather than find out about problems when I turn it onto the cake - when it's too late. Hope you get this solved!

I also let the outlining sit and crust, or I freeze it for awhile to get it more firm. Otherwise when you fill in with other icing colors, the other icing can push the outline-line out of place.

A thicker (stiffer) icing for the outline can help.

I also pick up the paper and look on the underside to make sure the icing is actually touching the paper. It may look like a solid line while you're piping it, but an air-hole or a slight gap can give it a totally different look on the underside.

Thank you all for your replies. I really appreciate the input.

If you are interested, I'm following the steps you see in this youtube video of somebody doing a FBCT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV2DZDuv9XA&feature=PlayList&p=6A2B6BAAE1E094AC&playnext_from=PL&index=27

If you watch this, you'll see that after the person outlines and fills in with color around and on top of the outline, the person puts a layer of background icing on top of the whole thing in white. Maybe you're not supposed to do this, but this person's picture turned out fine at the end. Maybe I'm pressing too hard when I smooth that top layer or maybe I should not include the top layer. Plus, doesn't that make your image tall so that it stands up high on the cake?
Any ideas?

I got some Betty Crocker chocolate icing to try because I read that this mixed with some black coloring is nice and stiff. I used pretty thinned down buttercream with black gel color added to it. It wasn't real real thin like piping gel. Still, others say they used thin buttercream and are not getting the smushing.

I'm going to try everybody's tips.
Thanks again!
Julie

The FBCTs in my photos (the Coke cake, the jungle cake, Ariel, etc.) are all done of just the picture itself with no "backing" icing layer on it. I find that it gives the FBCT a nice 3D effect to have it sit a tiny bit off the icing layer on top of the cake. The Coke cake really had that effect, and it worked very well.