# Cake picture question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 7, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690 "2003-05-07T16:19:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690/1 "2003-05-07T16:19:06Z")
So we’re sitting around the lunchroom today, and one of the women I eat lunch with told us about the cake at her future daughter-in-law’s bridal shower. It was one of those photo cakes where you bring in a photograph and they make the cake decoration from that.
My question is, how do they make those? I know they’re made of sugar, but how do they make the actual picture?
Thanks,
Robin
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690/2 "2003-05-07T16:51:06Z")
No so much differently than you print a digital picture at home. The printing is done on thin, edible rice paper with food color dyes. Pretty nifty idea, huh?
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690/3 "2003-05-07T16:51:54Z")
The secret is…[edible ink!](http://www.photofrost.com/secret.htm) Yum!
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### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690/4 "2003-05-07T16:53:06Z")
The photo you give them is scanned into a computer, and it’s then air-sprayed onto the cake. I don’t know what the “ink” is made of, but it’s obviously something edible.
If I find a photo of the machine that does it, I’ll post it.
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### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690/5 "2003-05-07T17:02:53Z")
Here’s a link of a place that sells printing supplies for making photo cakes. The printers look just like regular ink jet printers, but they spray the ink onto a sheet of icing, which is then applied to the top of the cake. Nifty:
[http://www.icingimages.com/index.htm](http://www.icingimages.com/index.htm)
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690/6 "2003-05-07T17:03:56Z")
Homer: mmmmmmm… Ink!
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cake-picture-question/173690/7 "2003-05-07T17:21:35Z")
Thanks. You guys are the best!
Robin