Edible print care and instructions

Icing Sheet print care and instructions

(for Wafer Paper please Google and see YouTube tutorials online as applications may differ for various projects)

Please, kindly note that these are basic tips and instructions only! Edible Print is a cake decorating product which has many different applications and I can not provide extensive tutorials on all of them. It is your responsibility to research and learn the necessary cake decorating techniques in order to achieve the results you want. Google and YouTube both have many free tutorials!

I always recommend selecting pick-up date for your edible icing sheet print as near to your event as possible. I print your order the night before your pick-up date to ensure freshness.

Once printed, icing sheets are at their best when used within 1-2 weeks. Up to 4 weeks if double-bagged / double-sealed and kept unopened. Double-bagging service is offered at the time of your order.

All shipped orders are double bagged by default to compensate for additional storage time during travel.

EDIBLE PRINT STORAGE:
Keep your frosting sheet in its original heat-sealed reclosable bag until you are ready to use it.  Once cut open, use immediately.
Store remaining parts of the unused decal in the same reclosable bag to prevent drying.
Store your image on a flat surface in a cool, dry location away from direct light to avoid fading.
Do not store in the freezer or refrigerator.

During winter: The prints may crack or shatter when frozen. When picking-up, protect from exposing to freezing weather.

FINISHED CAKE STORAGE:
Once your image is applied to a cake, you may then store it in a dry (home) fridge.
Commercial humid walk-in fridges may cause colors to run, so you may want to place your cake inside a cardboard box to keep extra humidity away and absorb any potential condensation.

Your decal can be applied to most any homemade or store-bought cake.  You can use a buttercream icing, royal icing, fondant, or sugar paste.

If your cake is frozen, thaw completely prior to applying the decal. Once applied, the image is not repositionable. Handle with clean, dry hands. Avoid water drips.

If necessary, the print may be cut to any shape using scissors, blades or paper punches.

TO APPLY:
Start with clean, dry hands.  Choose the place on the cake where your image is to be placed.  Once applied, your cake decal cannot be moved.  If your cake frosting has dried, apply a fine mist of water to the surface of your cake. The cake should not be wet – too much water may cause your image to run. Optionally, you can use clear piping gel or clear corn syrup as a glue.

Remove your image from its backing sheet by placing it face side down on a clean, dry surface and slowly and carefully peel the backing sheet away from the image. Hold the image with both hands and place it face up directly on the cake icing.  Gently smooth the image down with fingertips (or a dry, clean foam brush) starting from the center of the image and working to the edges.
If the image bubbles after application, GENTLY TAP (do not rub) the image. After the image has been on the frosting for about 5 minutes it will begin to merge with the frosting and become one. If you touch it, it will leave a fingerprint just like the frosting does.
If desired you can create piped borders around the edible image.

BEST WAY TO WORK WITH CUPCAKE/COOKIE TOPPERS (from personal experience):
Cupcakes and Cookie toppers are round most of the times. Many people use scissors to cut them out one by one first, then apply to product or a layer of thinly rolled fondant, then cut again… Too much of a hassle! 🙂
Try doing the following: roll out a very thin (thickness of 1-3 post cards) sheet of fondant or a mixture of fondant and Tylose powder/ gum paste (even better!). Apply the entire printed sheet on to it carefully removing air bubbles if any. Let it sit for 5 min to merge completely. Then take a cookie cutter of the same diameter as your circles and cut through both layers at once. The thinner your fondant is rolled, the crispier the cut line will be. And no, it will not affect the taste or texture much.
You may now apply your cutouts to baked product, or leave them to dry for an hour or overnight to become more rigid and hold shape better. You may even place them upright on top of your cupcakes!

TIPS & TRICKS:
High and low humidity will affect the decal. Always keep the image in its sealed reclosable bag.
Your cake frosting can be any color, but keep in mind that your decal is made from very thin icing, so dark colors like chocolate may show through your design a bit.

If you have trouble removing your image from its backing due to high humidity (decal is moist, stretching or sticking), try the following: if possible, move the image you are ready to use to a drier environment.  An air-conditioned room will usually be dry enough to condition the image so that it can be peeled. Place the decal in a freezer for a few minutes or run a hair dryer on warm setting over it for a few seconds after which the image will usually peel easily from the backing sheet.

If you have trouble removing your image from its backing sheet due to low humidity (decal is dry, brittle) try the following: place a warm damp cloth/paper towel underneath it and close your reclosable bag tight. Make sure the damp cloth does not touch the image. Leave for a few hours or up to 3 days, then remove the towel to prevent mold.

For Ice cream cakes with whipped topping – don’t add any additional water. To apply directly to ice cream, it is best to allow the ice cream to “sweat” a bit before applying the image, or mist the ice cream with milk before applying the image. If you are working with soft-serve ice cream you will achieve better results by applying your decal while the ice cream is soft, then freezing.

For Whipped Toppings – don’t add extra moisture.

For buttercream frosted cakes – apply your decal right after icing the cake. American style buttercream icings will form a thin crust about an hour after it was applied. If buttercream has formed a crust, spray with a fine mist of water before applying the image.

For royal Icing – add a mist of water over royal icing before applying an Edible Image decoration.

Poured white chocolate or ganache – Pour your icing over your product then apply the image while the icing is still wet. Let image set before moving.

For Sugar paste or fondant – use a small brush to apply water only where your image will be placed and then apply your image to this area. Water outside the image area will leave a mark on your fondant. If you do not use enough water, your image will not adhere.
You may also use white shortening to apply your image to fondant. Brush shortening onto either fondant or the back of your image for bondage. Gently wipe excess shortening from fondant with a clean paper towel. This method will result in a cleaner smear-free application and the image is easier to remove without damaging the fondant surface if necessary.