I noticed that a lot of people are using the tappits for their lettering. It looks wonderful but is it easy to work with? I went on the website and they had a whole bunch but were out of stock for many. Which one would you recomend if you have used them?

Dina

I've heard tappits are a pain. And that now there's something better. I've heard that the Windsor Clikstix with ejectors work like a charm. I'm making a list to buy.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=7024983&sid=3dc713dcbc5029a5abd175db1a945f60

http://www.globalsugarart.com/cat.php?cid=1158&s=&name=Windsor%20ClickStix

I dust the gumpaste/fondant and the tappits with a mix of powdered sugar and corn starch. They usually fall right out.

Ooh, those Clikstix look great. I really need some new way to do letters. My cutters are a pain and they don't look all that good - and my piping skills are beyond awful!

I have tappits - can't get them to work even though I've been shown how...I usually use one kind of letters (Make something???)

I was shown that you lightly cover the surface in shortening, roll out thin gumpaste & let it kind of dry before using them...mine still get stuck

I just bought some Tappits, used them for the first time this week. They weren't a pain at all.

Granted, i'm just a newb, but this is what i did.

1. Make sure your surface is VERY dusted! (I use powdered sugar)
2. Make sure your Fondant is VERY dusted! I also add a bit of tylose to my fondant to make sure it's a bit firm.
3. Roll out the fondant very thin, but not see-through thin.
4. Cut a strip of fondant the size of the letter you want to use.
5. Dust the Tappit with powdered sugar, and press the desired letter into the piece of fondant and move it around the table a bit (important that table is very dusted) to make sure it is firmly indented.
6. To release the now imprinted letter from the Tappit, I hold the strip of Trappits letters as if it's a ruler and fling it against the table - This might be hard to visualize. Basically hold the Tappits in your right hand, make a fist around it with your thumb up and pointing towards you. With your index finger from your left hand, pull back on the top of the Tappits and release, so that when you release the Tappits hit the table with a "fling".

If your letter and cutter are properly dusted, the letter will just fall right out. Worked perfect for all my letters. HTH

DinasSugarShack - best advise i can give as to using Tappits is...

Roll your fondant as thin as you possibly can - as thin as a tissue

Then leave your fondant for a good 5 miutes or so to *air dry*
This will ensure a nice sharp edge all around what ever shape/letter you are cutting out.

Then place you Tappit on your air dried fondant - and with slight pressue - shuffle it back and forth - your Tappit should be cut and be stuck to the ACTUAL Tappit


Have a piece of baking paper on your bench - and TAP your tappit hard and your shape will fall out.

The reason i tap them out onto baking paper is -
i don't have to handle them thus they won't loose there shape -
I can transport them to an airing rack to leave them for a few hours until it is completely set and then ready to use.

Using a thin edged spatular i then lifet them and using sugar syrup and a fine paint brush - i adhere them to either my cake or cake board.

If you allow your fondant to air dry befoe cutting each shape out - like me you won't need to use a hardening agent.

Hope this helps.

Bluehue.

I never had luck with Tappits until I read a hint to cover the fondant/gumpaste with plastic wrap before using the Tappit cutter. I was doubtful, but tried it, and it worked FANTASTIC!!! I now love my Tappit cutters.

I also have Clikstix, and they are great too.

Tappits can be a pain until you get the hang of them, but they are worth persevering with. Some good tips for using them from other posters above.

Jem letter cutters are probably the most frustrating to use, because you can't 'whack' the cutter on your work surface to release the letter, but they are a really nice font so are worth sticking with until you get the knack for them.

Windsor Cliksticks are SUPER easy - all you have to remember is to roll you fondant thin enough so the ejector bits don't mark the letter when cutting, and don't press on the ejector section of the back while you are cutting out (press only on the outer edge of the strip until ready to release the letter). They are very easy, so go for those if their fonts suit.

I have collected quite a lot of letter cutters - several Tappit sets, the Jem ones, and some Cliksticks. I always use whichever font suits the cake I'm making (even if that happens to be the most tedious cutters to use), but if I were choosing font based on whichever was quickest to use then I'd be using Cliksticks for everything.

A couple other threads on alphabet cutters which may be useful:

Some pics of Cliksticks in this one: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=705403&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

Funky Tappits picture tutorial: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=669386&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-7006809-.html&sid=f4ee94b0586f4709194562cd5c112d2b

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-594726-0-days0-orderasc-.html&sid=3ec940006a5f36dcc5d603355d3451e3

Tappits really are a P.I.T.A. to use, Edna seems to have got the hang of them, this helped me a lot.

I wish I saw this last week. I just ordered 4 sets of tappits. The clickstix look much easier to use although if you watch a tappit video they make it look just as simple. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it.

They do take a while to master. For some reason, the "A" gives me the most trouble. Agree about the Edna video. That's where I went to learn how to do them.

I have pretty good piping letters skills, but in this day and age, a hand piped cake looks so "grocery store" or something. The cutters make the cake look more professional and finished. Which is sad, because I can pipe "Happy Birthday" drunk and asleep.

Yep, Edna's videos helped me so much!