Suppose you have a cake-baking project that requires edible printing but you only have a regular printer. What would you do in such a scenario? Can you use edible ink in a printer that uses regular ink?
Most people may want to give this a shot and see how it goes. After all, ink is ink. But before you attempt this, we urge you to read this post to know if using edible ink in your regular ink printer is a good decision.
Here’s what you need to know about this subject.
Can you use edible ink in a regular printer?
It is not advisable to use edible ink in a regular printer. Why? The edible ink and regular ink aren’t the same. Edible inks are used in edible printers, while regular inks are used in regular printers. Additionally, both inks’ constituents and the manufacturing process aren’t the same.
When you put edible ink in your regular printer, it would clog the print head and even cause harm to other components in the printer.
Using regular printers for edible printing is also not advisable unless the printer is brand new. You also have to use the printer for edible printing alone from the get-go.
Avoid placing regular printers and inks close to edible printers to avoid contaminating the latter.
Keep reading for more on this subject matter.
Can The Use Of Edible Ink In A Regular Printer Void My Warranty?
Here is a good question. Firstly, note that regular printers use regular inks. These printers aren’t designed to use a different type of ink.
If the manufacturer wanted people to use a different type of ink, they would have made provision for that.
The truth is putting edible ink in a regular printer is similar to deliberately sabotaging the printer. Everyone knows that a warranty becomes void when one deliberately damages a device.
So if your edible ink printer stops functioning correctly or develops a fault because you used regular ink, know that your warranty automatically becomes void.
In this case, the company that owns the printer won’t repair or change any damaged parts for you.
We have explained that the regular ink can clog your edible ink printer’s print head, making it impossible to function as expected.
A Handy Tip: Please note that using compatible ink won’t void your warranty. The Magnuson Moss Warranty-Federal Trade Improvements Act has made it very clear that manufacturers don’t have the power to force consumers to purchase specific consumables.
So, if you used a third-party ink on your regular printer and it doesn’t damage it, your warranty is still intact. But if the ink damages the printer, your warranty won’t exist any longer.
Why Manufacturers Are Against Using Edible Ink On A Regular Printer
You must understand that using third-party ink, such as the edible ink on a regular printer, isn’t ideal for several reasons. Even printer makers frown at such an act. Why? They want customers to only use original ink. Here is why.
1. Printer makers generate more revenues from ink replacement:
When you research how much manufacturers spend to produce printers, you’ll question why the printers you see on the market have such low price tags.
The truth is these manufacturers spend huge resources on research and development. Of course, they have to conduct the research to produce printers that meet users’ needs.
Now the question is, why are so many printers sold at such low prices?
The reason is that manufacturers want more people to buy their printers. They know they can make up for the losses incurred from some of their printers via ink sales. So they want you to keep buying original brand ink to ensure a steady supply of revenue.
Some of these manufacturers try to put fear in the minds of consumers to keep them from using third-party inks. They might claim that high-print quality is only possible when you use original brand cartridges or that the warranty becomes void when a customer uses a third-party cartridge.
2. Using edible ink in regular printer could compromise the ink:
What is edible ink? The edible ink works like regular ink, but it is edible. In other words, it is safe for consumption.
The regular ink isn’t safe, and no manufacturer has ever claimed it is safe. The inks aren’t sold that way either.
So, when you put edible ink in a regular printer, you’ll contaminate the former. Consuming such compromised ink is a considerable health risk no one should take. This makes using edible ink in a regular printer a waste of time and potentially dangerous.
Most people will say cleaning the regular printer before putting the edible ink makes it safe. But that isn’t true. Printers are challenging to clean, and it’s impossible to clean one thoroughly.
3. Edible ink might damage your regular printer:
When you use edible ink in a regular printer, the ink may clog the print head, making it difficult for the printer to function correctly. Of course, this voids your warranty. And you’ll incur extra costs trying to fix the printer.
Is The Edible Printer Worthy Buying?
Investing in an edible printer may be worthwhile if your business focuses on making cakes for special occasions, and you make tons of them now and then.
Why did we say so? People like it when cake makers personalize their cakes. It makes the cake appear more appealing and unique.
So, if you have an edible printer that can print people’s images on their cakes, you could attract more customers to your business and generate more revenues.
What Type of Printer Can You Use For Edible Printing?
You need an edible ink printer for the job. But if you don’t have one, use the regular inkjet printer. Just ensure it is a brand new printer. Ensure you haven’t used the printer with non-edible ink.
Avoid using edible ink in a printer you have already used. It won’t work for edible printing. And it is a risk that’s not worth taking. You may claim that you have cleaned the printer thoroughly, but note that ink poisoning is still possible.
Conclusion
Can you use edible ink in a regular printer? It is not advisable to do such. The reason is that the edible ink may clog the printer’s print head. And if the printer has been used with non-edible ink, ink poisoning is possible when you use edible ink.
Using a regular printer for edible printing is also not advisable. Note that an edible printer requires edible paper, edible printer, and edible ink.
We have discussed the various reasons using edible ink in your regular printer isn’t a good idea. Now you can make an informed decision on the subject.