Royal Icing vs. Glaze

Hi, DMarden, Congrats on making your first post. I look forward to many more to come!

Hi, again! So sorry, but I cannot personally help much with this question. I don't like to use glaze much, because the absence of egg whites makes it slower to dry and more prone to colors bleeding. But, I have tagged @CookieCrazie to increase the likelihood of her seeing this post. She's one of the leading glaze experts/users, and I am sure she has some great tips!

Hi- this is an old thread, but thought I would chime in. I have been working on my Glaze techniques for almost a year now. You must buy C&H or Domino powdered sugar and you must sift it to remove clumps. I add 3 T whole milk and about 1 t corn syrup, salt and flavorings. Corn syrup is helpful when writing words. It allows the piped edge to form with other piped edges- such as writing with thick and thins for your fun fonts. You also must make your glaze about a day in advance and let it sit out on the counter for air to escape and salt to melt. Then pipe and fill, with a thicker consistency, like corn syrup. The only time I use a thinner flood is when I am filling in very small spaced, such as on lettering. Then I use a toothpick to apply a thin coat to fill in the space. Never refrigerate glaze over night or if you walk away, it will cause sugar bloom. Color bleed is an issue- the only way around it is to allow the glaze to dry   at least 12 hours. Usually only an issue with darker colors. 

Glaze is the only icing I use, and I love it! I've never really had a problem with color bleed. I've found that it helps to ice the dark colors first, and then lighter colors last. Also, as mentioned by Confetti Yeti, this icing reacts badly to cold temperatures prior to being set! Adding white food color helps, but it won't work all the time so proceed with caution when refrigerating your decorated cookies. Good luck!