I'm trying to print some names & birth dates on some 2" fondant hearts. I've thinned royal icing and used tip 1 but it clumps and I can't get even one letter printed because I keep having to unplug the tip and it looks blotchy. I've tried using tip 2 but the circles fill in like the circle in a "b" and that looks untidy. I've taken a very fine brush and dipped it in colour and tried to "paint" the letters but the finish look is not very nice.

I know I can get a better, more smooth, look with thinned buttercream but I'm afraid that some of the letters might fall off or smudge when I add some s/p flowers next to it. Buttercream just doesn't harden the same as royal.

All I want are tiny, flowing, pretty, neat, durable letters!!! Is that so much to ask for??

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated because I'm ready to throw it all in the garbage!!!

So sorry, I posted this in the wrong section! I meant to post it in "How Do I?" section.

Can't you tell I'm frustrated! I think I'm losing my mind!!!

Strain your royal through a clean nylon stocking and will be clump-free. Also, be sure to wipe the tip often and keep it damp when not in use.

Another option would be a food writer marker?

Texas, I can only get the food markers here in like bright red or blue or the like. I'm trying to get a soft ivory colour, or even a light pink or white. Something like that in the right colour would be perfect but it's not going to happen here unfortunately.

Diane, I'm going to go right now and try to strain the royal icing. I'll give that a try.

Thank you both so much for the suggestions! I

Thank you so much Diane! I strained my royal icing in panty hose and it worked like a charm!!

I really appreciate your help!

Also, if your letters are not holding their shape (like the "holes" in the B filling in) your royal might be TOO thin.

When I'm going to be using fine tips (1.5, 1, 0, 00), I put a square of stretched knee-hi between the coupler in my bag and my tip and it strains the icing as I pipe.

I've tried straining it first and it still didn't seem to help me, so I came up with this idea.

I also keep the tip cleaned off and under a damp towel if I'm not piping.

~Chelle

That's a good tip Chelle - thanks! I'll try the piece of stocking with the coupler next time. It's not a matter of the royal icing drying out for me - I always keep the icing covered with a wet towel and my tips are moistly covered as well when I lay them down. I think it's the meringue powder in the royal icing. It seems like it doesn't dissolve completely and the little gritty bits just clog up the small tip.

I don't notice it much when I'm using tip 2 and above but with tip 1, I always have this problem. Straining it through the stocking worked wonders yesterday and I'm so grateful for the help. I was really getting frustrated!

Once again, thanks to my CC friends for coming to the rescue!!

Don't know where I saw it, but maybe someone else knows for certain, but you mix your royal, then drape a damp towel over the bowl for a while, then finish mixing....suppose to give the ingredients time to "melt" together. Sorry I don't have the specifics, but maybe someone else does.