Printing process with edible inks

An edible ink comprising about 10% to about 20% by weight water, about 70% to about 80% by weight of at least one sweetener, about 5% to about 10% by weight of at least one emulsifier, about 1% to about 5% of a humectant, wherein the ink has a viscosity of about 2000 to about 3100 cp at 25° C.

An edible ink comprising about 70% to about 80% by weight of a barrier forming compound, about 1% to about 10% by weight of a drying agent, about 10% to about 20% by weight of a film former, about 1% to about 3% by weight of an emulsifier, about 1% to about 5% by weight water, about 1% by weight of a water repellant, wherein the ink has a viscosity of about 2000 to about 3100 cp at 25° C.

A lithographic printing process for forming an image layer on a surface of an edible article, comprising:

• (a) providing a master with an ink receptive layer thereon;
• (b) contacting the ink receptive layer with an edible ink to form an ink layer thereon, wherein the edible ink has a viscosity of about 2000 to about 3100 cp at 25° C.;
• (c) transferring the ink layer to a substrate to form an image layer thereon.

A decorating kit comprising a substrate having printed thereon a substantially non-tacky layer of an edible ink, wherein the edible ink is applied to the substrate using a lithographic printing process.

A lithographic printer comprising a master having an edible ink thereon, wherein the edible ink has a viscosity of about 2000 to about 3100 cp at 25° C. and a pigment density of about 0.1 g/l to about 0.25 g/l and an ink density of about 1.1 g/l to about 2.0 g/l.