IN Brief:
- DTM Print is introducing Primera Technology’s Connie edible-sheet printer to professional bakery users.
- The thermal inkjet system supports media up to 279.4mm wide, with a maximum stated resolution of 1200 × 4800dpi.
- DTM Print describes the model as certified to NSF/ANSI 18 for use in commercial food environments.
DTM Print is bringing Connie, a purpose-built edible-sheet printer developed by Primera Technology, to professional bakery customers through its specialist printing business. The Wiesbaden-based company is presenting the machine as an alternative to consumer inkjet printers adapted to handle icing sheets, wafer paper and other edible media. Its October product information describes the machine as certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 18 for commercial food environments, with construction and ink handling designed around the requirements of food production rather than office document printing.
The food-contact pathway shapes the machine’s construction. Edible sheets and inks move through components intended for that use, rather than through the paper path and ordinary printing system of an office machine. Connie combines a stainless-steel housing with dedicated edible ink cartridges and food-contact-rated parts. DTM Print identifies the device as the first cake-sheet printer to secure NSF/ANSI 18 certification for commercial food environments, a status the supplier presents as part of its product specifications.
A three-colour thermal inkjet cartridge supplies cyan, magenta and yellow, with process black produced through their combination. The printhead is built into the cartridge, so replacement of the consumable also renews that component. Automated maintenance is intended to keep ink flowing when the printer is idle between orders. This arrangement suits bakeries that may print several decorations in a short period and then leave the machine unused until the next group of personalised jobs arrives.
The system has a native print resolution of 1,200 by 1,200 dots per inch, with a maximum stated print setting of 1,200 by 4,800dpi. DTM Print quotes approximately 20 seconds for an A4-sized image, although actual output depends on artwork and print settings. Supported print widths run from 101.6mm to 279.4mm, allowing relatively narrow decorations through to approximately 11-inch-wide sheets. The normal maximum print length is 432mm, with longer media potentially possible in certain configurations and materials.
Different edible sheets present different handling requirements. A relatively thin wafer sheet does not feed in the same way as a thicker icing sheet carried on a liner, and the front edge has to enter the printer reliably before the rest of the substrate passes through. DTM Print therefore specifies separate thickness limits for the leading edge and the main substrate. The company lists a leading-edge range starting at 0.076mm and extending to a maximum of 0.51mm, while the substrate can be as thick as 1.02mm. The actual practical limit can vary with the material, so a bakery needs to qualify the sheet rather than assume every product sold under a compatible name will feed identically.
CakePro layout software, supplied for Windows and macOS, prepares artwork for edible sheets. The printer also supports output from common design applications and connects through USB 2.0 or wired Ethernet. A production bakery can therefore prepare artwork at a separate workstation and send it to the printing station when a decoration is required. Printed sheets still have to be handled and applied to finished products; Connie does not automate that downstream decoration process.
Food safety controls continue through cartridge storage, sheet handling and decoration of the finished cake. DTM Print identifies colourants including E133, E122, E129 and E102 in the edible ink formulation, with the exact market and application determining the relevant additive and labelling requirements. The supplier describes cartridge production under Good Manufacturing Practice controls. A bakery must also manage the traceability and storage conditions of the edible sheets and cartridges used for each order.
The October presentation follows Primera’s earlier introduction of Connie in the United States. DTM Print supplies specialised printing equipment across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, giving customers a regional route for equipment advice and support. The company’s specifications identify a total assembled weight of 10kg and an operating temperature range of 16°C to 32°C. Those parameters make the machine more akin to a dedicated desktop production appliance than a large continuous decoration system, with its commercial role centred on on-demand, relatively short-run edible graphics.
Short-run printing can link the design step more closely to individual customer orders. A cake producer can print names, photographs and seasonal artwork as required, reducing the need to stock preprinted edible designs. The financial calculation depends on print volume, consumable costs, artwork preparation, rejected sheets and labour spent handling the decoration. Print time is only one part of the process: approving the artwork and positioning the printed sheet on a product can determine the pace of a customised order.
The machine’s principal application is the production of edible graphics in commercial bakery conditions rather than continuous inline cake decoration. Its stated print speed and media specifications give bakeries parameters for testing throughput with their own sheets and designs. Consistency will depend on selecting compatible media, maintaining the ink system and integrating printing into the preparation and finishing sequence. DTM Print is taking preorders, so the next practical measure is how the equipment performs under routine bakery workloads.
