{"id":765,"date":"2015-05-07T03:52:31","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T03:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topperoo.com\/?p=765"},"modified":"2022-09-21T07:06:19","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T07:06:19","slug":"how-to-solve-edible-ink-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topperoo.com\/blog\/how-to-solve-edible-ink-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"How to solve your edible ink issues – a step by step guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

So confession time… How many times have you have completed an\u00a0order\u00a0where you haven’t been 100% happy with the edible ink colours?<\/p>\n

In this post\u00a0we solve the most common problems\u00a0in relation to colours and shades\u00a0on your icing sheet printouts, so you can know you’ve got the best quality images for your customers.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, we’ve summarised\u00a0the different colour related links\u00a0here to jump to, in case you’re troubleshooting\u00a0and need to find a quick fix.
\nMy edible images\u00a0are coming out in the wrong colours<\/strong>
\n<\/a>My edible images\u00a0are coming out too dark<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/a>My\u00a0edible images\u00a0are\u00a0missing certain colours<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Otherwise, read on…
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

My edible images are coming out in the wrong colour<\/h2>\n

Have you ever faced an issue where the image colour is significantly out from the original? It’s something that\u00a0cookie decorators have also highlighted in Julia Usher’s Cookie Connection.<\/a><\/p>\n

In fact\u00a0Jessica from Hello Baked even wrote a helpful blog post recently covering her personal experiences on this<\/a>. Now although this is relatively rare,\u00a0it\u00a0appears to occur with certain\u00a0colour\u00a0mixes. The photo below represents this well and was the most severe\u00a0examples we had seen.<\/p>\n

\"Edible<\/a><\/p>\n

Here’s our recommendation if this happens:<\/p>\n

Step 1: Is a colour missing?<\/h4>\n

Firstly, double-check if\u00a0all the colours are working properly. Perform a ‘nozzle check’ in the printer settings, and\u00a0if a colour isn’t printing, refer to the troubleshooting tips in the next section<\/a> around cleaning the ink heads.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Adjust the image in\u00a0the printer settings<\/h4>\n

Using the printer property settings\u00a0(Print> Properties > Main > Color\/Intensity > Manual> Set), adjust the balance\u00a0of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.\u00a0In the example above from Jessica, she found she had to set to little to no Cyan, and a high level of Magenta to get the colours to match on paper.<\/p>\n

\"colours<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 3: Ensure good\u00a0quality inks<\/h4>\n

There is a chance that the colours could be off as a result of a poor quality ink batch. If you’re seeing this consistently it may be worth looking at other ink suppliers. Remember to\u00a0keep experimenting<\/a>\u00a0with different inks and suppliers – and speak to others on their experiences.<\/p>\n

Bonus tip: Manage your customers expectations<\/h4>\n

Now we’re printing on icing here folks, this isn’t retina display! Sometimes your customers may need to be reminded\u00a0of this too.\u00a0You may want to\u00a0put a\u00a0note on your website \/ Facebook page explaining that colours don’t always match perfectly, since the inks are edible!
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

My edible images\u00a0are coming out too dark<\/h2>\n

Sometimes if you have a darker design, the detail in the output can look relatively poor. Here are\u00a0a few steps\u00a0to resolve this:<\/p>\n

Step 1: Ensure\u00a0the correct\u00a0printer settings<\/h4>\n

First of all, stop printing using the ‘photo printing’ setting<\/span>!\u00a0Let me explain. You would\u00a0think that you should choose the photo print setting so it will come out highest quality on the icing sheet, right?<\/p>\n

Wrong – it’s all about having the appropriate setting for the surface it is printing on. So\u00a0if you choose the photo printing setting for icing, the ink is\u00a0layering deeper and\u00a0is actually producing more contrast. In other words, on icing, the dark shades in the photo look darker.<\/p>\n

Choose the ‘plain paper’<\/strong> setting instead. You can still choose ‘high quality’<\/strong> on this option, and you’ll find the\u00a0the prints aren’t as dark vs photo printing.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Lighten the image<\/h4>\n

If you need to adjust further, \u00a0there is no need to play\u00a0around\u00a0within a photo editing program to adjust the\u00a0brightness\u00a0– you can do it directly within the printer settings. For Canon printers (which we recommend due to the removable print heads for easy cleaning), go to Print> Properties > Main > Color\/Intensity > Manual> Set, then adjust the brightness from there:<\/p>\n

\"print<\/a><\/p>\n

\"printer<\/a><\/p>\n

This can generally solve 90% of the shading related issues. Otherwise, is there a\u00a0different, lighter design\u00a0you can use?
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

My edible images are missing certain colours<\/h2>\n

If\u00a0some of your prints are looking a little\u00a0off it may be that one of the colours isn’t printing properly, and is a result of clogged print colours, or detatched cartridges.\u00a0Here’s what to do in this situation:<\/p>\n

\"Edible<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 1:\u00a0Check cartridge is attached properly (oh, and that it’s not empty!)<\/h4>\n

Ok first things first, check that you’re not just out of ink! Otherwise,\u00a0do a ‘nozzle check’ printout (Printer properties>Maintenance>Nozzle Check)\u00a0to\u00a0verify that a colour is indeed not printing.<\/p>\n

Open up the printer and check the ink cartridges. Is there is a flashing light or missing\u00a0light like the below? This may means that the printer doesn’t recognise the ink cartridge\u00a0or has a bad connection. Take out the cartridge, lightly clean the chip with a dusting cloth and then replace it. If the light doesn’t return solid after a few attempts you may need to purchase a new ink cartridge.<\/p>\n

\"missing<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 2: Perform ‘Cleaning’ function in printer settings<\/h4>\n

If the cartridge is connected properly,\u00a0but is still missing a colour,\u00a0then press the ‘cleaning’ cycle (Printer Properties>Maintenance>Cleaning). You may need to do this a couple of times to get the heads cleared and inks running again. You can also try deep cleaning too, however be aware that this consumes a lot of ink.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Clean print heads<\/h4>\n

Still having issues? It may need a more thorough clean by removing and cleaning the print heads – this only works for removable print-heads. Deco, a UK supplier,\u00a0covers this point thoroughly in a support video around edible printer troubleshooting<\/a>. You don’t necessarily need to own the cleaning equipment suggested, but it helps.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Replace\u00a0print head or printer (last resort)<\/h4>\n

If after trying all the above it still isn’t working, it may be time to replace your print head or printer. Have a chat with your supplier to see what they recommend (or look out for our upcoming blog post on Edible Printers).<\/p>\n

Bonus tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Generally, we’ve found that if you maintain your equipment properly over time, there is less chance of the inks getting clogged and not printing. Have a check of this equipment maintenance schedule<\/a>\u00a0to help to keep you on track and extend the life of your equipment.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

I hope the above tips help you so you know exactly how to improve your edible printing colours.<\/p>\n

What edible printing issues do you face? Let us know and we’ll cover them in a future post.<\/p>\n