Avoiding the Fustrating Roller Marks on Edible Sheets

Whether you have experienced it yet or not, there are certain times when you print out your edible icing sheets, that you realise the finished print is spoiled by long roller marks running through the entire image.

After considerable testing we learnt that such an issue occurs namely because Canon printers in particulars weren't manufactured with edible printing in mind so unlike icing sheets, a traditional paper can naturally absorb a decent amount of ink which in turn allows for the page to dry almost instantly.

Canon printers are made with very tiny rollers that you can see if you look closely at the upper ceiling inside the output area. They look like small white plastic rollers and these little devils are what press onto your icing sheets.

However another factor why you get roller marks is the weather and typically with cooler weathers inks tend to dry slower and so with the fine surface on photo capable icing sheets, so the result is the ink is still slightly wet as its passing through the front rollers.
 

But there is a quick, cheap and somewhat unorthodox method to resolving this issue that involves about 5 minutes of your time, some tape and 2 x wooden skewers or dowels.

Ok here we go:

What is required:

2 x Wooden Skewers / Dowels around 4mm - 6mm in thickness. Well thick enough so it is nice and tight when you insert into the printer so to prevent the skewer / dowel from moving around.

1 x Roll of tape. Preferably a strong tape like electrical tape but not too thick.

Instructions:

1.       Basically get yourself 2 skewers or dowels which can be purchased from any supermarket, hardware store and even cake decorating supplier.

2.       Then slowly insert the first skewer / dowel in the far left opening of the output tray where the sheet would be come out from.

3.       Push it in about 1 - 1.5 Inches, just enough until it seems to firmly stay in its place and not to obstruct the print head as its printing.

4.       Repeat this step but this time insert a skewer into the far right area in the output tray.

5.       To make sure the skewers don’t move during printing, wrap some tape around the skewers / dowels and attach to the printer. If your dowels are thick enough they may not even need this.

6.       Test your print. If your sheets print out freely without touching the skewers and the skewers don’t seem to move at all then you are good to go!

Give these steps a go and so far they have helped many customers in eliminating the dreaded roller lines that tend to appear especially when you need to continuously print our icing sheets.

FURTHER TIPS:

** If you are using A4 sheets on an A3 Printer you may only need to insert the left hand side dowel as it should give you enough high to avoid the rollers.

** Cut your Dowels in half or make them short enough so they dont poke out too much from your printer.

** You only need to use the tape if you see the dowels moving however in many cases if you have a thick enough dowel that feels nice and tight in its place then taping isnt required. 

** DO NOT force the dowel too far into the printer otherwise this can come into contact with the printhead and risk it being damaged. Look underneath yourself and simply make sure the dowel moves in enough to raise the upper ceiling of the printer.

If you have any questions about this contact Edible Image Supplies via our website at www.edibleimagesupplies.com.au or on 1300 303 348.

Choosing the Best Quality and Safest Edible Ink Printer

The edible printing industry has certainly been on a dramatic rise in the recent few years with edible products not seen are mere novelties anymore but essential decorations whether it be a cake, cookie or on ice-cream.

There is now an increasing demand for organisations and businesses of all sizes to embrace these deliciously appealing show stoppers that are not only used to make a statement but promote a company’s image.

So it’s no wonder that printing images and photos on edible sheets has become a very profitable operation indeed.

Whether it’s an extension of an existing business or a pure edible operation from home, where does one look to finding the best ‘edible’ printing kit or system? And if they do find a supplier, what quality are the products they are receiving and what level of support arrives with the package?

Unlike other larger markets like the Uk and the US, countries like Australia and New Zealand lack any major edible support organisation or distributor that can cater to their needs not just with equipment, but software, tech support and that after sales support that many cake suppliers who sell certain edible products don’t offer.

Ok I get it, but what do you look for when purchase an edible ink printer system?

Well firstly what you need to look for is a distributor who knows the market extremely well and isn’t just selling a variety of products. That way they have the know-how to explain what the best printer to use is and if a printer is already owned then what kind of supplies are required.

Very importantly ask where the edible ink and sheets are made and whether they are high quality. If they say yes then ask them why! If they give a bland, ‘Im not sure’ answer then you can be sure that support afterwards is out the door. You’ll then need to make sure that the edible supplier can provide you with software and template support and anything extra you may need because an edible ink printing system isn’t going to design, run and print itself!

On top of all the above there needs to be wholesome and knowledgeable level of after sales support that can address even the most technical of questions. A distributor needs to not only sell their products like suppliers do but know them inside out as they usually played a part in their manufacturing.

So the next time you look for edible ink printers please make sure all the required due diligence is done first before taking the step as purchasing just any edible package that says edible may cause serious harm not just to your printing quality but also to your business in general and to your potential customers who will ultimately ingest your printed products.

If you aren’t about where to find or how to choose the right edible printer, please visit Edible Image Supplies at http://www.edibleimagesupplies.com.au where they are the largest Australian Owned edible supply distributors who sell the highest quality edible ink printers, Edible ink, Icing Sheets Software and real expert support for edible products.

Photo Quality VS Standard Edible Ink Cartridges

 You may at times be printing your customer’s photos and downloaded images and at times come to wonder why the output quality is not particularly crisp and photo-like.

Edible photos were in effect acceptable in maintaining a certain level of blemish or imperfection however there are now new photo edible ink cartridges that can allow a standard inkjet printer to produce sharp and crisp edible photos that would certainly dazzle customers.

The reason behind the difference between standard and photo quality cartridges greatly relates to the adjustment and precision of the cartridges ink nozzle, its inner construction and the edible ink density.

Photo ink cartridges have a near solid, inner sponging device that is sort of like a sponge made into hardwood. It allows the precise passing through of just the right amount of ink while retaining any the ink that is not required. The ‘sponge’ piece is mould-resistant and is extremely safe considering photo ink cartridges are completely enclosed and so kept ait-tight hence the reason why we are so very against refillable edible cartridges! 

Once the edible ink is retrieved it then passes through the photo ink cartridges precision nozzle in order to use the 1 picolitre FINE print head technology and 9600 x 2400 dpi to its full capacity which is something other cartridges do not ensure. By passing this way the ink is finely sprayed on the icing sheet providing a vivid and sharp photo like edible image that’ll certainly bring a smile to your customers face.

Currently only the Canon printers are the preferred machines to be used for edible printing as their print head technology works best with the edible inks, and provides more printer life with less maintenance requirements than other brands.

In addition to having photo ink cartridges you do need high quality icing sheets that have an almost bright white finish in order to amplify the printers edible photo ink. Our EIS brand has one of the only range of Edible Photo Ink Cartridges and Bright White edible sheets.

For more information about our range visit our website at: http://www.edibleimagesupplies.com.au