Disclaimer: I'm a super amateur cake decorator (I've only used cake mixes 90% so far) so please bear with all my silly questions.

I want to start on having my own edible cakes for family and friends so I did some research online and while that has given me a lot of ideas, it has also made me come up with a lot of questions. I definitely do want to start on the right foot, I don't want to buy an edible ink system that I will end up regretting and wasting time, money and resources. I've even clicked the "buy now" button on a certain photo cake kit (that has the printer, ink & paper) earlier but before final step was done (i.e. paying for it), I decided to do more research and I'm glad I did. It turns out that this website has a couple of folks here that didn't like their inks/paper. Now, I'm even more confused!

Has anyone done a comparison of different edible printers, inks and papers? I would definitely appreciate it if you can give me some feedback on what you are using/ have used. It's so much better to learn from others rather than making a whole lot of experimenting on my own!!! (I kinda learned that the hard way with a different craft). I also created a poll so it would help me see which one is popular (which sometimes is not the best one). Thanks everyone.

Aloha from Hawaii!

I see a lot of people reading but no replies. I wish someone can take the time to give me feedback. It doesn't matter if you've only tried one brand / supplier, your feedback will help me and other newbies make wise decisions.

OK, here goes. I own an Epson C88+ printer and I got my inks and paper at KopyKake. Love my system. Clear, precise pictures, never have had a clogged head. (I do print something out every 2 weeks at least) I bought this particular set up because I have a good friend who HAS tried others and this one worked the best for her...so I followed her lead. I have had it for about a year now and have absolutely no regrets buying it. I bought the printer off of ebay, and got the inks and paper from kopykake.

Hi...I bought an Epson CX7400 several years ago, and the ink and paper from KopyKake. I was not happy with the results. Everyone loved the novelty of the edible ink pictures on the cookies, but I couldn't get it as bright and clear as I see advertised on the internet. KopyKake was very helpful on the phone, but it wasn't what I expected. Until you decide, if you want edible photos, Sams Club will print them for a reasonable price. Sounds like Lucinda has a good one. That's what I wanted....Clear, precise pictures, but I just couldn't make it do it....Maybe it was just me???

I have a Canon MP560. I've only had it since June but so far it works great. I got my inks and frosting sheets from Kopykake. I do like the inks but I will probably get different sheets, maybe from Icing Images, when I run out because they are a bit thicker than I would like. The printer, I got at Walmart on sale. I'm not sure if they carry them anymore, or not.

will any printer work with the kopykat cartridges??

oops, kopycake.

Hi:
You personally requested my feedback on this so here are my thoughts. I have been selling and using edible printers since 1999. This is all we specialize in. Day in and day out, I test research and tweak things to continually improve on things for our customers. Since I sell the product, I am biased, but I am also honest. Because I have to answer to my customers, I want to be sure that we offer the best quality product as possible. Otherwise, my staff and I are spending more time on service calls....we would rather not have to do that!!!

I do use the product, we sell images as well so I know how it is acting and standing up with first hand knowledge. I am a Canon girl. That doesnt mean that other printers do not work well, it just means that this is where I find the most success. Canon has a removable printhead. What this means is if your printhead clogs, you can, if necessary, remove it clean it and after it dies, replace it if necessary without replacing the printer.

We sell one Epson. It is NOT my favorite, but it gives beautiful results. I have found the Epsons to be finicky with they way they are used. I can damage them easily (remember, I test things on them and abuse them as I think may happen with customers). But they do not stand up to the trials that I give them. The only Epson I sell is a workforce 1100 and the only reason I sell it Canon does not carry a printer that works well in the wide format arena. The only reason I would ever recommend this printer is if you have a real need to print the large 10x16 sheets. Otherwise I wholeheartedly recommend the Canon Mp560 or the Canon ip3600. I can abuse these printers non stop and I can get them to work again. On that note, I would recommend no matter what printer you choose that you use it regularly. If not...get your prints done elsewhere. The printer is ment to be used and not sit. SInce edible inks do not have the toxins in them to keep the ink from drying up, it MUST be used once a week.

You can print on regular paper if you want to, but you want to use it. Also, VERY IMPORTANT, read the information that comes from the edible ink company that you purchase the ink from. Do not assume that you know what it says as things do change and information is updated. The majority of the problems customers have are that they did not read the information that came with their edible ink. There is not much to it, but a little knowledge goes a long way! We now have on our website a support section for our customers that have just about every document that we have on our ebible inks. This includes tricks to revive old printers.

Moving on to our ink cartridges and what makes ours different. Our Gold Label ink produces extremely vivid pictures. If you ever had the opportunity to compare side by side at convention with our competitors, you will see rich vibrant tones. You will see a difference between our inks and the ones that are being produced by Walmart or Sams. But your customers do not see them side by side so they will not realize you can get better if that is your solution. Our gold label cartridges (and soon all of our cartridges) use a food grade plastics to house their inks. There is no sponge so there is no need for the alcohol in the ink which burns out printheads prematurely. In addition, without the sponge taking up space you get a lot more prints per set of cartridges than the sponged cartridges. They are also refilled in the printer saving you money and time.

Paper: There are several different types of paper out there. Our economy brand and the KK brand is the thinnest out there. It responds quickest to the environment which means the higher the humidity the more it sticks to the backing or if it is dry, you will see it crack qucker. The Lucks which is a two layer icing sheets and what you see the preprinted edible images on. It holds up better in higher humid and dry conditions but it has a margin like the KK around the icing sheet giving you a smaller printable area. The Premium Icing Sheets are the newest on the market and give you full edge to edge printing with a small 1/4" trim as the lead side giving you the largest printable area. This holds up best in all environmental conditions and is a more durable icing sheet.

Companies: In choosing a company to purchase supplies and service from, I would suggest strongly that you call and talk to them. You want a company that will be there for you and is knowledgable. Do they ship quickly? You will know when you talk to them which company to go with. One trick is to call back a second time and see if you get a knowledgeable person on the second call as well!

I hope this helps you and others and I will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

I wholeheartedly agree with Debbie's advice! Thank you Debbie, by the way! Your expertise is so appreciated!

The first edible image printer I purchased was an Epson CX7450 and I LOVED IT, and highly recommended it to others! The images were so vibrant, clear and precise and I was very happy with my new toy! I purchased the inks at KK and the sugar sheets were also KK brand, and I never had problems with either of them. Let's just say I loved my Epson until the print head clogged (black cartridge). No matter what I did, I couldn't fix it! I also have a friend that lives close and within two weeks HER black printhead clogged as well. Because she was in a pinch with cookie orders and because she had a stash of Epson inks, she purchased the same printer (at a very low price). I, however, did a little more reseach before making my new purchase.

My new and current edible image printer is a Canon MP560 and it's wonderful and very durable! The main reason I decided on Canon is just as Debbie stated...it has a removable print head that you can clean/repair (many times over) and place back in the printer! While the MP560 has been dependable, I do not think the print quality is near as good as the Epson, but it's acceptable. My customers will not know the difference.

So, for me....it's Canon all the way! I have dealt with KK since day one and have rec'd excellent service from them, but am open to new suppliers, so Debbie, I may give IcingImages a try! I appreciate your honesty and stepping up to help a fellow decorator! Thank you, again!

For anyone thinking about buying an Epson, the Epson WorkForce 615 Wireless is on sale this week (Cyber Week) at Sams Club for $60. Kopykake has cartridges for it, not sure about Icing Images..

Thanks a lot to everyone who replied. This is very helpful for me. Loucinda, you are so great in replying lightning fast!

Debbie, I so appreciate the feedback. To be honest, I was already veering towards Icing Images (I'm glad I didn't go with the other company) but your reply did cinch the deal! I love the idea that you really testdrive your printers as heavy as you can. My Canon IP3600 is arriving in a few days and I ordered your premium sheets and gold label ink system.

By the way, do you have any customers in Hawaii? The reason I was asking is if they had any issues with your inks & paper.. since it's summer here all year long. For me, the weather is lovely and it's like I'm in paradise all day but I can be biased and I don't know how humid is humid for edible cakes. I'm sure that Icing Images products are wonderful as I have placed an order already but I do want to be prepared just in case.

Again, mahalo (thanks in Hawaiian) for your help!

Cannon and I love it! I have had nothing but positive feedback from customers.

I have a epson cx8400 for two year. Not a problem until about 3 months ago. I hadn't printed in about a year and 3 months ago it started to clog. Rinsed out the heads worked fine tried to print once a month but is clogged again so I rinsed heads again and am trying to print once every two weeks. What I do not like is the edible paper by kopy kake. From day one they taste stale. Can only use with buttercream because the buttercream soak the paper and the stale taste goes away. Can't use with Fondant because you can DEFINATELY taste the paper. If anyone has a better tasting paper please let me know. I just use them for my boys parties and can't afford to keep buying edible paper that doesn't taste great.

Cannon- For edible images, I have had the same cannon i560 for years and years... (at least 5 or 6 years.) Maybe once a year I have to soak the heads in everclear. It is just now giving me problems- because I think it is just plain ole wearing out.

I've had good friends go through edible printers every other year- they've done hp's and epsons....trying to find the perfect one. It seems like once they break down, they can't fix them by soaking the heads or anything.

If I could find another cannon i560, I would do it in a heart beat. I like that it seems to have more control over the printing than other brands (my regular wireless printer is an HP -( it jams regularly)and my other one is a cannon pixima (I hate that it eats ink).

HI Digital Princess:
I do have customers in Hawaii and have not heard any problems. But if you run in to a problem, let me know so I can help. But I have customers that have been there for a very long time so assuming they let me know, to date, we do not run in to problems. Oh, and by the way....LOVE Hawaii, spent our honeymoon there and it is incredible!
Mahalo

What about the cannon MP250? Does anyone have that?

I also started with an epson and kopykake ink and was happy with it. I wanted a wireless printer and the canon MP560 was recommended so that's what I got. I also switched to icingimages gold label inks and there is a world of difference. When I use up the frosting sheets I have on hand I will be switching to icingimages sheets as well. Their customer service is awsome not to mention their willingness to help with problems.

Wafer paper tastes worse. You want an icing sheet. Different brands do taste different. But as far as taste, Icing Sheets or sugar sheets taste the best.

Canon MP 250... I do not beleive there are edible cartridges for that printer. You would want to consider the mp560 or ip3600 printer

Debbie, wanted to give you some feedback. My son's birthday is this month so I was ready to buy a different kind of edible paper. I just make cakes for my boys and have learned a lot from this site. I purchased edible paper from your website and since I messed up my print job, I tasted the edible paper and IT TASTES MUCH BETTER!

Thank you so much for your feedback!!! We really try to offer the highest quality of products that we can!