1. How does edible inkjet printing work?

Edible inkjet printing basically works just like normal office inkjet printing. The only difference is that you have edible ink cartridges installed in your edible inkjet printer instead of regular ink cartridges, and instead of regular office paper you insert edible paper into your printer’s paper feed. Now you can print images, texts, etc. onto this edible paper which you can apply to cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, etc. afterwards. The entire image (the edible paper and the edible ink) is edible. PLEASE NOTE YOU SHOULD NEVER USE A PRINTER FOR FOOD PRINTING THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY USED WITH REGULAR INK CARTRIDGES / REGULAR INK AS CONTAMINATION MAY OCCUR! FOR FOOD PRINTING YOU SHOULD USE A PRINTER THAT RUNS WITH EDIBLE INK FROM THE VERY START AND NEVER USE REGULAR INK IN THIS PRINTER!

2. What types of edible papers do exist and how do they differ?

The most used edible paper for food printing is the Frosting Sheet. Then there is also the Wafer Paper (also called Wafer Rice Paper), the Fondant Sheet and the Chocolate Transfer Sheet . Every paper type of these differs from the others. Click on each edible paper type to read the product description. Please note the ingredients as well as attributes and characteristics stated below are referring to products from our brand, paper2eat. Different brands may use different ingredients and have different attributes and characteristics. All of our edible papers as well as all of our edible ink cartridges and edible ink refill bottles are 100% FDA compliant.

3. What is edible ink? What is edible ink made of and is it safe for consumption?

Edible ink basically is food grade ink / food coloring which has specifically been designed to be used in inkjet printers for food printing. Instead of regular ink the inkjet printer uses cartridges which are filled with edible ink. This allows you to print digital images onto edible papers. Our edible ink is safe for food printing. It complies with all FDA (food and drug administration) regulations and is manufactured in the USA. However, edible ink is for cake decorating purposes / food printing use only and should not be swallowed / drunk as such. Our paper2eat edible ink is made of water, glycerin, ethanol, preservative and FDA approved colorants and engineered to flow very well through common Canon and Epson inkjet printers such as those sold in regular office supply stores. Our manufacturer uses machinery that does not come in contact with any food allergens. The entire manufacturing process is in accordance with the FDA Code of Regulations (21CFR).Please find the nutritional information for our paper2eat edible inks (according to 21CFR 101 of the FDA) based on 3.5 fl. oz. (100grams) below (percentage of daily volume based on a 2000 calories diet): Energy: 110 kcal / 6% Carbohydrates: 15grams / 1% Sodium: 260mg / 11% Proteins: 0% Sugars: 0% Dietary Fiber: 0% Total Fat: 0% Vitamin A: 0% Vitamin C: 0% Calcium: 0% Iron: 0%

4. Which printer is best for edible ink printing?

The best printers for edible ink printing, according to our experience, are Canon and Epson printers. Therefore we carry these two brands and offer bundles which include edible papers and edible ink cartridges to make it easy for bakeries and home-based businesses to start with edible ink printing as the bundles include everything you need to start with edible ink printing. So far we have made the experience that both brands, Canon and Epson, work very good for edible ink printing, but the Canon printers are better if you want to print onto Chocolate Transfer Sheets as the rolls of the Canon printers grab the Chocolate Transfer Sheets better than the rolls of the Epson printers. Canon printers often also have more ink tanks. Some models use 5 ink tanks (2 x black, 1 x yellow, 1 x cyan and 1 x magenta), some use 6 ink tanks (same as mentioned before plus 1 x grey). The Epson printer models for which we carry edible ink cartridges only use 4 ink tanks. We offer edible ink cartridges for many Canon and Epson printer models and also add new cartridge types from time to time for the new printer models. However, we only carry and add cartridges for those printer models which we believe are good for edible ink printing as some models may not be as good as others. So if you plan to buy a new printer for edible ink printing purposes somewhere else please make sure edible ink cartridges are available for this printer model. If you buy a printer-bundle from us you can be sure to have a good printer for which you can purchase edible ink cartridges from us.

5. What should I know before I start with edible ink printing?

You should only use a brandnew inkjet printer for food printing. Never use regular ink cartridges with this printer nor regular ink as contamination may occur. Maintain your printer properly and regularly (see section 7.).

6. What can I do if the printing results worsen?

Bad printing results can be either the result of no or rare maintenance of your edible ink printer (please see next section “7. How do I maintain my edible ink printer properly?”) or simply of improper printing settings. If you believe you maintained your printer properly it is recommended to take a closer look at the printing settings. Change the paper type in your printing settings from regular to “matte photo paper” and the print quality from “regular” to “high”. If this does not work set the color intensity in your printing settings to dark. We recommend to perform the test prints on regular office paper to not waste your edible paper.

7. How do I maintain my edible ink printer properly?

We recommend to turn on and off your edible ink printer daily. Even on those days you don’t use it. Turning your edible ink printer on will start a small cleaning cycle which can prevent the nozzles from clogging. We also recommend the use of food grade cleaning cartridges. These should be installed every two weeks. Once installed, put regular office paper into your printer’s paper feed and do a few prints with the cleaning cartridges. Then run a printhead cleaning cycle with the cleaning cartridges installed. Now remove the cleaning cartridges again and re-install the edible ink cartridges. Also put your edible paper back in. Additionally it is recommended to proceed a cleaning cycle (with your edible ink cartridges installed) through your printer’s menu once in a while (approximately once or twice a month). Following these easy steps may extend your edible ink printer’s life enormously. If you intend to not use your edible ink printer for a while it is recommended to leave the cleaning cartridges in the printer during that time.

8. Are paper2eat edible ink cartridges refillable?

Yes, all of our edible ink cartridges are refillable (for Canon as well as for Epson printer models). In contrast to regular ink cartridges and edible ink cartridges from some other manufacturers on the market which use one-time chips, paper2eat edible ink cartridges come with auto-reset chips. An auto-reset chip resets automatically once you remove the empty cartridge from the printer. This allows you to refill the edible ink cartridge and the printer will recognize it as full again once you re-install it. With an one-time chip the printer will not be able to recognize the cartridge as full again, even if it has been refilled and is full again, which means you will not be able to use this refilled cartridge in the printer again as the information on this one-time chip sends the signal to the printer that it is still empty even if it isn’t. In order to maintain great printing results we recommend to refill edible ink cartridges up to three times only as the wick (outlet port) of the cartridge can wear out over time.

9. How do I refill edible ink cartridges properly and how often can I refill them?

(a) Remove the sealing plug which covers the refill port on top of the cartridge . (b) Now fill the edible ink cartridge with paper2eat edible ink through the refill port of the cartridge using a clean syringe. Leave a minimum space of 20% in the cartridge empty to avoid leaking. Then put a clean sealing plug onto the refill port again. ATTENTION: IT IS RECOMMENDED TO USE DISPOSABLE GLOVES! YOU SHOULD ALSO COVER UP THE BOTTOM OF THE CARTRIDGE DURING THE REFILL PROCESS! EITHER PUT A PLASTIC COVER ON IT THAT USUALLY COMES WITH THE CARTRIDGES OR IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY JUST PUT A SMALL PIECE OF TAPE OR SOMETHING ELSE OVER IT! IT IS JUST IMPORTANT THAT THE OUTPUT OF THE CARTRIDGE IS CLOSED PROPERLY WHEN YOU REFILL THE CARTRIDGE TO PREVENT THE INK FROM RUNNING OUT DURING THE REFILL PROCESS!). (c) Install the refilled edible ink cartridge into your printer. paper2eat edible ink cartridges can be refilled unlimited times. However, in order to maintain a high print quality we recommend to refill no more than three times (maximum) as the wick (outlet port) of the cartridge can wear out.

10. What are cleaning cartridges and how do I use them?

Our cleaning cartridges contain a food grade liquid which is also compliant with the FDA regulations. This liquid allows you to clean the nozzles of the printhead and prevent it from clogging. They are very easy to use. Simply remove your edible ink cartridges from your edible ink printer, cover the outlet ports of the edible ink cartridges so ink does not run out and install the cleaning cartridges. Print a few pages on regular copy paper with the cleaning cartridges installed and then perform a cleaning cycle through your printer’s menu. If you intend to not use the printer for a while you should leave the cleaning cartridges installed. If you plan to use your edible ink printer again remove the cleaning cartridges again and re-cover the outlet port on the bottom of the cleaning cartridges. Now re-install your edible ink cartridges.

11. How do I use Chocolate Transfer Sheets?

Please go to the product page here to learn how it works.

12. Are paper2eat products (edible paper, edible ink, etc.) FDA approved?

Yes, all of our edible products (edible papers, edible ink cartridges, edible ink refill bottles, etc.) are 100% compliant with all FDA regulations.