If you're thinking of purchasing an edible printer, you might be wondering which of the many models you should choose before you decide! An edible printer is a great investment for your business, and we want to help you get it right, so we've outlined the difference between the our edible printer models as well as highlighted some key considerations in one handy guide below
What Options are there for Edible Printers?
We're often asked ‘Can I not just use ANY printer as an edible printer?’ and the answer is no! Here's why…
- Edible printers need to be brand new and NEVER used with regular ink, to avoid cross contamination from toxic chemicals which can be harmful for health.
- Only selected edible printers have a rear feed, this is important for feeding and printing delicate edible sheets without damage!
- It's best to choose a printer with a removable print head. Due to the nature of edible ink being made up of food colourants, and lack of harmful solvents used in regular ink, it can sometimes build up on the print head causing blockages and havoc with the quality of your edible prints, by having a removable printhead you can be sure that if (or should we say when!) that happens, you can easily remove the blockage by removing and cleaning your print head.
- There needs to be Edible Ink Cartridges available for the printer model you choose, you can't just use regular cartridges, for the reasons outlined above, as well as the way edible ink works (CMYK system). EPS stock edible ink cartridges for all our edible printers, as well as popular legacy edible printer models. (You can browse all our Edible Ink Cartridges to see if we carry compatible cartridges for the edible printer model you're thinking of.)
So now you're clear on what makes a printer suitable for edible printing, what are the options available? Based on our extensive research, knowledge and experience with edible printers, Edible Print Supplies only supply 3 models which we deem to be ‘the best in the business!’ These models are all Canon edible printers, as they cover all the required features of an edible printer, unlike other brands such as Epson.
We recommend the following Canon edible printer models:-
- Canon PIXMA TS705a
- Canon PIXMA iX6850
- Canon PIXMA TS6350
Edible Printer Models stocked by Edible Print Supplies - Canon TS705a, TS6550 and iX6850.
As well as selecting the best printers for creating edible images, we've also sourced these models based on their range of features making them suitable for various applications in the edible printing industry. When it comes down to the quality, there is virtually no difference between the quality of edible prints you can achieve from the Canon TS705a, iX6850 and TS6350, and what's right for your business may not be right for another.
All edible printers available at Edible Print Supplies are suitable for printing all types of edible paper, including icing sheets, wafer paper and card and even chocolate transfer sheets! There's no need to purchase a different printers, ours do it al!
Which Edible Printer Model Should I Choose?
Before you decide on an edible printer model, it's important to consider which features you may need for your business and edible printing needs. We've outlined the main differences between each model, and why this may be the best choice for you:-
Canon TS705a Edible Printer
The Canon TS705A edible printer is our most popular edible printer, mainly down to it's great value for money and easy-to-use display screen for edible printing beginners. The cartridges for this model are the PGI580/CLI581 cartridges which are readily available as edible ink cartridges from reputable edible printing supply stockists such as Edible Print Supplies. The TS705a edible printer is compact in size so it can easily be fit into your workspace or kitchen.
We'd recommend this printer model if it's your first time edible printing, if you're a home-baker or small baking business printing edible images for your own cakes or use. It's capable of printing up to A4 size, and we'd recommend sticking to our uncut sheets with this model, so it's ideal for those who cut their own edible images or have a separate dedicated cutting tool.
Canon TS6350 Edible Printer
The Canon TS6350 edible printer is the same compact size as the TS705A printer and also has a display screen for ease-of-use. The main benefit it has over the TS705A printer is it can also be used for copying and scanning. The cartridges for this model as the same as the TS705A printer, PGI580 / CLI581.
We'd recommend this model of edible printer if, like above, you only intend to print A4 edible prints and are looking for an easy-to-use edible printer, but may have a need for the copying/scanning function too. Perhaps you might like to scan old photos to print as edible images, or simply require a scanner for general office admin, this printer can serve both purposes!
Canon iX6850 Edible Printer
The Canon IX6850 edible printer can be used for printing up to sized icing sheets and wafer paper, so this printer is ideal for those expecting to be printing in higher volumes, like larger bakeries or edible printing businesses, as you will have the choice of printing on our larger sheets to save money in the long run. We'd also recommend this model if you intend to use our Pre-Cut Icing Sheets, as the feeding is much more accurate with less variations than our other models. The cartridges for this model are the PGI550/CLI551 Cartridges, which are lower in price than those for our smaller printers. This can also make this model more attractive for higher-volume edible printers, as while this model sits at the highest price points to begin with, once the initial investment has been made you may find you will save in the long run!
Shop all of our Edible Printer models here!
But Which Edible Printer Kit Should I Choose?
Ok, so now you've decided your edible printer model, you may be wondering which of our complete kits has what you need. All of our edible printer kits come with edible ink, with two choices for cartridges:-
- Prefilled edible ink cartridges - these are already filled with edible ink, and can be inserted straight into your printer requiring less set-up and prep. If you've never used an edible printer before or don't fancy the sound of filling cartridges yourself, this might be a good place to start for you! You can always switch to refillable edible ink cartridges once you're more confident, too.
- Refillable edible ink cartridges - our most cost-effective option for edible printing as you can fill each individual cartridge as and when it's needed and just purchase our Edible Ink Refills instead. While they require a bit of initial preparation, it's quick to get the hang of and will save money for your business in the long run. It's also the more sustainable option, so that's an added bonus!
EPS Refillable Edible Ink Cartridges
The main difference between the kits is which type of edible paper they come with, and whether you require additional extras such as cleaning kits and cutting tools. We have dedicated edible printer kits for cakes (containing icing sheets), chocolate (containing chocolate transfer sheets) and even cocktails/drinks (containing both wafer paper and wafer card plus a cutting tool). If you're unsure which type of edible paper you're going to be using most, we'd recommend going for our starter kits, as these contain a variety of edible papers, meaning you can try them all before committing to additional full packs.
Other Important Considerations when Choosing an Edible Printer
We strongly recommend you opt for an Edible Printer Cleaning Kit with your edible printer, which we do have available as a complete bundle. This will set you up for the best possible start in your edible printing journey and ensure you can easily maintain your print head and quality of your edible prints. To discover more about cleaning and maintaining your edible printer, read our cleaning guide.
Edible Printer Cleaning & Maintenance Kit
If you intend to print and cut lots of circular edible toppers, you may find adding some of our cutting tools will make this easier for you too! Like the cleaning kits, we have options to include these with your edible printers and make further savings!
The Complete EPS Edible Image Cutting Bundle
includes Adjustable Circle Cutter, A3 Self-Healing Cutting Mat & Craft Knife (also available separately)
Another important consideration when choosing an edible printer is where you purchase it! You cannot guarantee that all printer models have not been tested with regular ink, or are food-safe, unless you purchase it through a dedicated and reputable edible printing company like Edible Print Supplies. We're also the longest-running and most-trusted edible printing supplies business in the UK, with years of experience of printing with edible inks, as well as close relationships with all of our industry-leading suppliers. When you need support with your edible printer, we're experts in the field! Our helpful team can provide technical support to help you get started with your edible printer and guide you through any difficulties if purchased directly through EPS, and we have dedicated edible printing support guides on all common issues. We've even set-up an exclusive Edible Printing Help & Support Group on Facebook, which you can join as an Edible Print Supplies customer!
We hope this helpful guide to our edible printers has helped you decide which printer model is best suited for your business, but if you'd like to discuss this further with our expert team, you can contact us at sales@edibleprintsupplies.co.uk or give us a call on 01254 825786 (available Monday-Friday 9am-4pm).