How does printing on edible paper work?
Printing on edible paper works like normal printing on an inkjet printer. Edible paper is used instead of ordinary office paper, and specialty edible ink is used instead of ordinary ink. And yes, the finished print can of course be eaten.
Edible Ink for Food Purposes
There are 2 types of edible ink. One type is intended for manual use. It is used for coloring and decorating mainly confectionery, using a variety of special pens, brushes and sprays. The second type is suitable for printing directly onto edible paper and is available in ink cartridges. These can be used in special edible printers as well as in most common inkjet printers.
What is food coloring in edible ink cartridges made of? The edible ink contains water, glycerin, preservatives and food coloring that determines the final color of the ink. As with traditional printer ink cartridges, edible cartridges are commonly used in the CMYK color range - magenta, cyan, yellow and black.
Edible Paper
Edible paper is the basic material for making edible decorations. You can think of it as a thin waffle. Maybe that's why it's also called wafer or rice paper. It consists of starch, natural or artificial sweeteners and vegetable oil. Edible paper is made in a variety of styles - thinner and thicker. It's practically tasteless.
Printing on edible paper is also possible with a normal office printer
Printing on edible paper is not only a matter for specialized printers, but can also be realized on many classic office inkjet printers. Laser printers are not used for edible printing at all.
Although a standard inkjet printer is enough to print with edible ink, forget that you would just replace the classic ink cartridges with edible ones and print treats on edible paper. If you want to get started with edible printing, you just have to reserve the printer for this purpose, which has not previously been in contact with ordinary ink.
When deciding on a specific inkjet printer model for printing on edible paper, you need one that can print on a heavy paper (edible paper is thicker) and that can handle food grade cartridges. This information should be obtained from the manufacturer or dealer.
Printing on edible paper is not for everyone
Not only do you need the printer, you also need edible ink and cleaning cartridges. The problem of clogged nozzles is very common in inkjet printers. Conventional printer ink therefore contains chemicals that help to dissolve the dried ink residue in the nozzles and to clean the printhead. Edible inks do not contain these solvents, so using them dries the printhead much more often. The only solution is to print regularly - when printing on edible paper, you shouldn't take a break for more than three days, the best would be to print every day.
It's probably clear to you by now that printing on edible paper at home isn't that easy. If you don't want to professionally print on edible paper, you can decorate your birthday cake with ready-made motifs or have your own motif printed on edible paper.
