Pancake Mod - Screen printing / laser etching pancakes

Pancakes... Delicious pancakes. Imagine sitting around the kitchen table enjoying a tasty stack of pancakes? Nice, no? Well now imagine them personalized with any image you can create. Personalized pancakes are the future of pancake eating technology.

I've been interested in pancake personalization for a while and have devised a few methods:

• Pancake Laser Etching
• Pancake Stenciling
• Pancake Screen Printing.

Of all these methods, the screen printing worked the best. But judge for yourselves, this video shows the creation, silkscreening and sharing of cakes:

Step 1 Laser Etching Pancakes

I briefly entertained the idea of laser etching pancakes but quickly found that it was not a suitable preposition. The taste of burning batter and the residue left from previous plastics was a major turn off. Still the resolution and contrast is unparalleled with the other techniques so this is a quick run down on how to laser etch your pancakes.

• Design your image to be purely black and white
• Resize it to make sure it fits within a 4" circle
• Make some pancakes larger than 4"
• Insert them into the laser engraver on top of a paper plate
• Refocus the laser so the beam head is almost touching the cake
• Set the power levels way down, you're only going to want to slightly toast the pancake.
• Send the file and let it print

Here are the results of my pancake etching:

Comments

[TheHawkeye]

Every year, the local cub scout pack that I used to be a part of holds a fundraiser called the Pancake Breakfast. To be able to hold it we get money by selling spot on place-mats that we set out. This seems like a great new idea to get more support from advertisers. Think about it, "Your Ad Here" on a pancake...

[mrelement]

that doesnt sound safe with the laser radiation

[Stephy_The_Great]

The dollar signs would have been awesome on silver dollar sized pancakes. This is a neat project, but I wont try this, because I like to eat my pancakes hot!

[alex-sharetskiy]

just do this and microwave your pancakes

[JohnMichael]

Now that is a creative way of combining two very different forms of art! Very cool.

[porcupinemamma]

Rats! i don't understand how to do this (technically challenged ) I do however know a lovely young lady who graduaded in film studies and i think she can help me. your pancakes are very unique and creative! 10 out of ten!

[AnarchistAsian]

and the mask is for...

[lamedust]

Dramatic effect! -bg

[AnarchistAsian]

ha! or maybe it's to protect your identity! :P hell, i'd do it.

[AnarchistAsian]

oh wait...
*goes through the pictures*
so it was for dramatic effect...
well played, lamedust!

[scody4100]

awesome song!

[lamedust]

Thanks, it's (I'm A)Donkey For Your Love by: Boat. Wheeeee

[scody4100]

haha yea I figured that out soon after hearing it. thanks the.

[edaj0718]

hot cake coyoacanvery nice work,very good ideas! check this link to see a diffrent kind to draw pancakes in Coyoacan,Mexico,

[lamedust]

A great video and a method I have not tried! My batter was too thick, but this seems like a great idea! Check it if you haven't.

[Linksep]

My mom used to do that for my brother and I like 20 years ago. If your batter is too thick you just get low-resolution images :-)

[alex-sharetskiy]

KickASS! too bad i don't work at iHop

[garrettmikesmith]

wow, apple marketing works. dude it's IHOP, International House of Pancakes, not the newest apple jumprope.

[somerockenguy]

Thats the one you can sync with your ipod and Nike+ipod right?

[garrettmikesmith]

yes it is. in fact it makes your shoes run to ihop and buy an apple

[alex-sharetskiy]

but i love my Apple jump rope!!

[garrettmikesmith]

haha

[lamedust]

I'm going to send this to iHop right now. Maybe they'll include it in their menu.... Imagine a couple going to the iHop, the man winks at the waitress and she comes out holding a "Jane, will you marry me?" pancake. How romantic to the ++. -bg

[YummyPancakes]

Ah, that's how I'm gonna get married :P

[vakama380]

word

[gwrober]

YES

[alex-sharetskiy]

ya, but make sure you patent it first!

[jeff-o]

May I suggest a fourth option: pancake stamping! Create a rubber (or food-grade latex) stamp, dip in chocolate, and imprint!

[somerockenguy]

patient that im sure this site is full of people waiting to steal ideas.

[YummyPancakes]

_Genius.

[somerockenguy]

Remember to always start the day off with laser engraved pancakes! There part of a delicious nutritious breakfast!

[Bhakto]

um whats the name of the song xD

[BPHuntley]

What's the purpose of asking for a color photocopy on the acetate? And do you double the acetates up to get better density?

[lamedust]

If you use a color photocopy you get much more toner placed. Especially if while designing you do Max Black... Meaning you select 100% C, Y, M and K, this way the toner is very dark. Yep, I also double them up. This allows you to be less precise with your lights since you can just over expose it a bit and the toner wont allow much light to pass.

[mrjubjub]

stencil "DONT EAT THIS" onto the pancake for optimal confusion

[lamedust]

Brilliant. Subversive pancake messages (steal this pancake) or perhaps a big caution sign would be funny. Do it! Take photos!

[rilkeanheart]

I just read about a latte foam printer using edible ink. I think it was a converted ink jet printer. Can someone make an instructable?

Here's a link. http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/08/on-latte-printer-syrup-art-barista.html

Here's another article with a video link.

[rilkeanheart]

Oops, here's the video link.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid452319854/bctid1716487960

[REA]

a good way to trick Catholics into thinking Jesus's face is cooked into a pancake! BRILLIANT!!

[joejoerowley]

You have no idea how much this just made my day. I love the song and I am checking out there music now. Thanks Joe