Cookies with Handprinted Edible Paper: A Mini Tutorial

Today I would like to try with a few Tipps.
I have been asked many times how it works with the print on edible paper, especially what to look out for. In the following I would like to share my experiences with my printer, my paper and colors with you.
(And please, forgive me my "english"...)

First, you need a new printer that has not yet been printed! All models that pull the paper almost straight through from above (such as the Canon iP4700) are suitable for this. In addition food coloring cartridges and Fondantpapier
(I take that from: KOPYFORM).

In order to create the later motifs, it is advisable to measure his cookie cutter and create the motifs on the PC in the same size plus about 2 mm margin. So you create motive for motive and arranges these on the Din A4 sheet (300 dpi or higher) on the PC. Here's an example of the layout, so you can make full use of the paper:

If you want, you can also print the entire paper over a large area and then cut it into squares, etc. as in this example: (like my current baby cake)

At this point a few notes on the graphics and the color setting:
You should work with a lot of color - setting to optimal and possibly still manually one or the other color higher regulate. I work with the highest setting of colors! The disadvantage of this setting: The color "floats" quite on the Fondantpapier and can smear in narrow areas.
The best print is achieved with very high-resolution (vector) graphics because the sugar paper has a rather blunt surface and "subtle" subtleties. My graphics are not vectors because they are mostly photographed. But I work with very high resolution. The colors should be bright (little black in cyan, magenta and yellow) In Photoshop you can display the colors.

Open the popup window by clicking on the color box.
CMYK is our color setting for the printer. With CMYK one sees the appropriate color share in%. The less "K", (black) in one color, the purer it appears. In my opinion, this is the crucial point from food color printing to normal printing. That's why many food prints look gray and fading. You need a slightly different attitude in the print job. Of course you also need the black! What should appear black must also be black! I just mean the pure colors cyan, magenta and yellow. These appear brighter when they have a low black level. (I always "play around" the color setting for a very long time ...) You have to try it. Learning by doing...

Now it's time to print! Here one can advise everyone first, to carry out proofs! Every printer reacts to the food color and especially to the fondant paper a little differently. My best print results were at a temperature of about 20°C. From about 25°C, the paper are softer, and goes through the printer worse. In addition, you should keep the sheet from the beginning on the sides, so it does not go wrong! The fondant paper is doing a huge mess there. Gladly "hang" even with very fresh fondant paper, the corners on the print output down and the paper could get caught and also broken. Small tip: at the printer exit a normal piece of paper so that the fondant paper can not hang down.

In addition, one must be careful when printing that it is printed exactly 1: 1, otherwise the dimensions for the cookies are not more right!!

Now the "worst" is over! We hold our first expression in the hands!!! This should now dry open about 1-2 hour before you go to cut or cut out.

The cut out with the cutter of course looks cleaner, but only works with sharp metal cookie cutters and fresh Fondant paper and also only with a lot of strength!!

That's what it looks like:

Befor one goes to cutting, it is advantageous to apply a thin layer of pulp over the entire surface of the pressure and very easy to paint over it, so that the color no longer smeared in the further processing. I put the cut out sheets on a single layer of film and after a while carefully cover them with another film so that they do not dry out too quickly. Of course, the color on the sheets should also be dry! So I leave her lying up to a day. If left to dry for too long, they break quickly when decorating. Later on the cookie, this is not important, because they should there dry!

These sliced sugar sheets you are stuck very thinly with a little thick frosting on the cookies. Please do not use jam, as it will not dry and the picture would be soaked! Glued with frosting, the pressure will last for months if properly stored. Now you let the cookies dry (until the frosting is dry) and stacks the cookies best upright next to each other with a piece of paper / cellulose / folie in between, so that the greasy bottom of the cookies not damage the printed image of the next cookie! Generally, the drier the storage the better! I store my cookies at about 20 ° C and a humidity of at most 40 (50)%. Excessive humidity sooner or later damages the image.

In the following I would like to mention advantages and disadvantages of the printed cookies that I noticed.

Disadvantage:
If you cut out the sugar sheets with the scissors, you have to work very, very clean and fine! Edged lines do not look very nice on the finished cookie. Due to the paper thickness of approx. 1 mm you can see the white edge of the finished cookie laterally. You can remedy this situation by, for example, leaving a white border on the outside of the picture. This can then be painted over with RI.
Here's the example:

In heat, the sugar sheets quickly soften, bend and then go difficult through the printer! This can be remedied by placing the sheets in the freezer for a few seconds so that they harden again. But really only a few seconds! Otherwise they will be too hard and could break during printing. If you forget them in the freezer compartment, they attract too much water when they get out and are unusable.
The printer should, like all other printers, always work. If you do not print longer, the printhead likes to dry out!
The cartridges are quite expensive! You can also refill them with syringe and food coloring, but beware, that's a damn mess ... !!! (Due to the overpressure with the syringe it usually expresses color out of the cartridge !)

Advantages:
After you have created the right designs, you just have to print, cut and stick on, the cookies are done. An additional effect can be achieved by sticking on the right place with very little icing finished icing flowers or fondant flowers.
Another advantage, this thin sugar paper affects the taste of the cookies practically not at all, because it tastes only light sweet, has no own flavor and is just very thin!
The actual taste of the cookie is preserved!

In the course of time, you have designed a series of designs for all sorts of occasions and no longer has to think about what to do, but always has the right designs ready!
If you do not like drawing well, you have too a way of designing your cookies! However, as foundress Julia M. Usher repeatedly rightly so points out, it should always be ensured here too that one has the image rights with the images you work.

Also another advantage: Should you ever decide against the Cookie printing, you can use the printer as normal for print media! Also with the food coloring! Anyway, it works for me! But danger, once you have used normal color cartridges (not edible!), the printer for cookie printing is no longer usable!

How do I create the graphics for my cookies?
Since there are only very creative users with infinitely beautiful ideas, this is certainly not such a difficult task ...

Everyone has a PC. Since the topic is already in the image editing, I would like to explain the way with a graphic short and easy. If you have questions, you can gladly ask me.

I am always looking for a motive, everywhere in nature and elsewhere. Take pictures of a lot of flowers (and other things) individually and then release them on the PC.

So you get over time a large collection of individual, free graphics. Often I change the color of the flower, so you have more choice here. I then reassemble these exempt graphics into a finished new  arrangement. Background suitable for this, the graphic is finished!

If I have forgotten something, you are welcome to ask!

The part of the graphics and image editing I knowingly kept very short, because he deviates too much from the main theme "cookies". Most will know what is meant. I like to help everyone else as far as I can (of course free of charge!).

I very love the cookies with RI, icing roses etc. more like the "printed" ones! That makes the craftsmanship and the really 3D effect!

Have fun wish you Gabi (icingsugarkeks)

Wow, so many excellent tips! Thank you so much for taking the time to put this out to us all so generously, dear @Icingsugarkeks!❤️❤️😘

Thank you so much for your kind words Heather!! 😘❤️ @Heather Bruce Sosa

Thanks  @Debbie2  @MsMiles  @Sally Wingle  @PartyPrettier  @GingerbreadGrandma  @smpolk716 ❤️

Sooo many, many Thanks the angel who was improved my headline and tags! 😘❤️😘

Oh how pretty dear Gabi @Icingsugarkeks!!! Thank you so very much for all the tips on printing  on edible icing sheets (I think this is the fondant paper?). It's something I've thought about trying to do.  

You walked us through the process very well 😊. I think you're right that there is a learning curve to successfully printing with edible ink.

Awesome work my friend ❤❤❤

Those are really so beautiful!

Thanks for the tips! These are so gorgeous! ❤

Carol, thank you so so very much my dear!! Yes, I mean Fondantpaper. Thanks for your kind words!! 😘❤️ @Cookies Fantastique

Thank you so so much Mia!!! 😘❤️ @Mia P

Thank you so much my dear friend  @Kanch J 😘❤️

Thanks ❤️  @Peppermint Mocha  @Suzie09  @Sofiya  @Mara's Flour Power  @PUDING FARM

Thanks ❤️  @Windshere1