Decorating system for edible items
A system for creating a decorative edible item from a selected image. The system includes at least one image source, such as a scanner and/or a library of stored images, a controller unit and a printer. An edible media is inserted into the printer. The user then selects the image source, such as the scanner for scanning in a photograph reminiscence of a person or event being honored. The size of the printed image is then selected as well as the number of copies to be printed from the image. The print sequence is then activated. The controller unit applies color correction to the digital image and converts the digital image into printer control signals to operate the printer. The printer then prints a rendition of the image with edible inks as the edible media travels through the printer. A high-quality pictorial rendition of the image is thus created. The printed edible media can then be applied onto a product, shipped to a separate location or eaten as is.
1. A system for decorating edible media to be applied to bakery products, comprising:
an inkjet printer operable to receive and print upon an edible medium;
a scanner to generate a scanned image; and
a control system coupled to the printer and the scanner to selectively retrieve and transmit the scanned image to the printer from the scanner, wherein the control system automatically retrieves and causes to be printed on the edible medium the scanned image in response to activation of a single button.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system includes an image editing system to modify the scanned image in response to user input.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the edible medium comprises edible paper.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an alternate image source containing a plurality of digital images, wherein the control system is coupled to the alternate image source to selectively retrieve and transmit a digital image to the printer from the alternate image source, and wherein the control system is operable to retrieve and cause to be printed on the edible medium a digital image from the alternate image source in response to activation by a user.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the digital images contained in the alternate image source include licensed images.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the alternate image source includes clip-art or illustrations.
7. A system for decorating edible media to be applied to bakery products, comprising:
an inkjet printer operable to receive and print upon an edible medium;
a scanner to generate a scanned image;
an alternate image source containing a plurality of digital images; and
a control system coupled to the printer, scanner and alternate image source to selectively retrieve and transmit to the printer the scanned image from the scanner or one of the plurality of digital image from the alternate image source.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control system automatically retrieves and causes to be printed on the edible medium the scanned image in response to activation of a single button.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the digital images contained in the alternate image source include licensed images.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the alternate image source includes clip-art or illustrations.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control system includes an image editing system to modify a selected image in response to user input.
12. A method for decorating a bakery product, comprising:
providing a bakery product to be decorated;
providing a printable edible medium to be applied to the bakery product;
inserting the printable edible medium into a printer;
selecting between at least two printing options, said print options including i) retrieving a scanned image and ii) retrieving a digital image from an alternate image source containing a plurality of digital images;
when the option of retrieving a digital image from the alternate image source is selected, selecting an image from the plurality of images and printing the selected image on the edible medium;
printing the scanned image or the selected digital image onto the edible medium; and
applying the image-bearing edible medium to the bakery product.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, when the option of retrieving a scanned image is selected, pressing a single button to automatically scan and print the image onto said edible medium.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising obtaining an original photograph to be scanned.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising digitally editing the scanned image or the selected image prior to printing the image on the edible medium.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising optionally selecting a third print option, the third print option including retrieving a licensed image from a licensed image source.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising disposing an original photograph on a flatbed scanner.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bakery product is a cake.
19. A method for manufacturing a system for decorating edible media, comprising:
providing an inkjet printer operable to receive and print upon an edible medium;
coupling the printer to a scanner, a user interface and a control system that causes an image to be scanned and transmitted to the printer; and
providing an alternate image source containing a plurality of digital images, said alternate image source being coupled to the control system such that the control system may retrieve and transmit an image from the alternate image source to the printer in response to user input.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the control system causes an image to be scanned and transmitted to the printer in response to activation of a single button.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the digital images include licensed images.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the alternate image source includes clip-art or illustrations.
23. A system for decorating edible media to be applied to bakery products, comprising:
an inkjet printer operable to receive and print upon an edible medium;
a scanner to generate a scanned image;
an alternate image source configured to store and make available for transmission a plurality of digital images; and
a control system coupled to the printer, scanner and alternate image source configured to selectively retrieve and transmit to the printer the scanned image from the scanner or one of the plurality of digital image from the alternate image source.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the control system is configured to automatically retrieve and cause to be printed on the edible medium the scanned image in response to activation of a single button.
25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the digital images comprise licensed images.
26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the digital images comprise clip-art.
27. The system of claim 23 , wherein the control system includes an image editing system to modify a selected image in response to user input.