Then there are candy colors, used to color candy coating so that the chocolate doesn't thicken. (For large amounts of chocolate, it is cheaper to buy candy already colored.)
WATER colors that are available in grocery stores. This is water with a small amount of color pigment in it. A waste of your money!

COLOR MATCHING: For color matching, as with wedding cakes, watch the lighting, especially fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lighting makes colors look a different shade than they really are. Its easiest to mix your icing in the daytime with these kind of lights.

FOR TRUER PURPLES: For truer purples, use milk to make your buttercream icing. Otherwise, purple buttercream flowers turn to a tint of blue as they crust.

MIXING COLORS: All colors are derived from only 3 colors: RED, YELLOW and BLUE. A combination of equal parts of RED, YELLOW and BLUE equal BLACK. That doesn't mean the SAME amount of each color. It does mean the same STRENGTH of each. If you end up with an off-color, just add a bit more of one or the other. It is not always as easy to achieve the exact shade of color you desire by mixing a combination of colors. I prefer to buy pink or purple colors, etc. already prepared to what I need.

IT'S STRONG: Our food coloring is highly concentrated, so you need very little for pastels. It is easiest to control if you mix the coloring with a small amount of icing and mix [only] what you need into the batch.

RED: Some people think it is hard to get icing a deep red. Some coloring is not as strongly concentrated as another. If you use SUPER red, you will find you will not need to use as much to achieve the same shades. As above, I use Baker's Preferred. But you must stop 2 shades too light. The color will deepen as the icing sits. If you add too much your roses will have black edged petals!

BITTER TASTE: Deeply colored icing sometimes tastes slightly bitter. (Red especially). There are several solutions to this problem.
1. Use powdered food coloring.
2. Mix the coloring into the icing and let it set for 1-2 days before using. (Color will also deepen after a few hours or days).
3. Use it a s a trim color, not solid shells.
4. Use Baker's Preferred...it doesn't take so much!

FADING COLORS: Any icing tinted with food coloring will fade if left in the sun or under fluorescent lighting for any period of time. That's why you shouldn't make flowers for your cakes too far ahead.. Buttercream has a tendency to turn "gray" looking after a week or so. I use royal icing when I really need true color. But roses made with royal icing aren't very edible. They dry too hard.

GREENS: What shade of green to use? This depends on the occasion. LEAF green is great for Christmas green. MOSS (sometimes called 'Avocado'), is used whenever you want a color similar to actual plant color. KELLY green is a nice "all around" green to use. It looks nice when rich-dark shades are desired. I like to mix willow green with leaf green for a nicer color...too much blue in willow and too much yellow in leaf green. As a "rule" if you are using soft pastel flowers, then use a pale shade of green leaves. If you are using deep-rich colors, use a deeper shade with the leaves.

BROWNS: If you are coloring a large area on a cake, it may be better to use powdered cocoa instead of food coloring at all. People expect CHOCOLATE when they see lots of brown icing. Don't disappoint them! The cost will be relatively the same. Just add the cocoa until icing is the shade of brown desired. Also add water to thin the icing back to the consistency you need to work with. It tastes like old fashioned fudge.

MATCHING BLUES: Many shades of blue food coloring are available, but almost never just the right shade you need. The biggest problem may be in matching icing flowers to the wedding ornament.

PASTEL BLUE: Using royal or sky blue will not usually achieve a really true blue....the blue of an ornament at least The only thing to do is add purple until it turns the right shade. The easiest way is to add purple icing DO NOT USE straight food coloring. It won't take a lot, so be careful.

ROYAL BLUE is not exactly the color of the royal blue food coloring either. You may need to add more red OR purple. Of course it will require more color for the dark royal blue than the Paste above, so you can use straight food coloring instead of colored icing in this case.

COLORS BLEEDING: Though I really haven't had too much problem with this I read about it on the message board a lot. I think, when cakes are covered really tight, the colors stay moist and blend together. The icing is your 'lid' and you don't need to cover it tightly. Though powdered coloring is guaranteed not to bleed, it isn't easy to mix in.

I am sure Dolores knows much more about this subject than I do.  I only know about what brands I like and use.

I know the food colors come in paste, gel, liquid paste, air brush color (to be used exclusively with the air brush on edible objects) and then there are the powdered food colors and the  dusting powders for the gumpaste and fondant creations.

I love the Chefmaster paste colors - there is such a range of colors and the shades are so vibrant and beautiful.   Wilton also has a very nice range of paste food colors that are probably available to more decorators.  If you do a lot of cakes you may need to purchase the larger 20 containers of paste food color to work from.  I especially use lots of brown color in the groom’s cakes.  Cocoa in the buttercream chocolate icing gives a nice soft shade of brown but when I want a dark brown food coloring is added to the icing.

I have personally never used the gel or liquid paste colors.  I hope Dolores can give you more info on these or if you have used them maybe you can fill the rest of us in.

Air brush colors come in nice range of colors now.  The nice thing about these colors is that you can custom mix your own colors to make a color that you need. All you need is a small container to mix the colors.  I often use the small Fuji film containers for custom colors.   Add water to soften them down when you only want real pastel colors.  Use them straight from the bottle for strong colors.

There are many powdered colors for dusting flowers, painting figures and etc.  In England you will also find decorators using edible color pens and I have one box of colors that are just for painting on cakes that are a very thick paste.  Not for adding to icing but for painting on gumpaste or fondant.

The other type of powdered colors are for coloring your icing or  chocolate.  It works great but you must be careful with this coloring.  When I open one of these jars of colors I only puncture the sealed cover inside the lid in one small place.  Then I shake the color from that one small opening.  This type of color if used to liberally just goes everywhere.  I have added this red powdered color to my icing in the bowl as it was mixing and then looked down at the cabinet and noticed some fine red powder on the cabinet.  When you hit that powder on the cabinet with a wet rag you have red on everything you touch.  It gets bright red quick. It takes a little work to get all that color off of the cabinet, floor and etc.

The one type of color I never buy is the little liquid bottles in the grocery store.  They basically are just colored water and sure won’t go very far in decorating a cake of any size.

One thing basic each of you should know about color is where your colors are on the color wheel.  Red, yellow and blue are your three primary colors in a triangle.  Between red and yellow is orange.  Otherwise when you mix red and yellow you get varying shades of orange.  Between yellow and blue is green.  Between blue and red is purple. All of the hundreds of shades of colors come from those three primary colors or an absence of color which is white.

When you want to dull a color you add the color on the opposite side of the color wheel.  Such as you add too much pink and get bright hot pink icing.  Add a little green to that pink icing and you will see that color begin to soften down.  Bright yellow - add a little purple.  The green icing you made up for grass is to bright - add a little orange.  This little piece of knowledge is so valuable for you as decorators who do lots of birthday cakes where you use lots of colors.   To make brown add red or orange with green.   All of the colors together make black or a shade of brown or gray depending on the shades of your icings that you are throwing together.

Edith Gates gave us a hint on coloring leaves to use with your flowers on your cakes.  She said she started with a just plain green.  If she was using pink flowers she added a little pink to her green icing for the leaves.  If she was using yellow flowers - she add yellow to the green.  This makes a pleasing shade of green that you know is the right green to use with that flower arrangement.  Of course she didn’t do the gumpaste flowers where we are using all the colors and realistic leaves.  She only worked in buttercream and royal icing as far as I know.  I try to make my gumpaste leaves as realistic as possible.  I make most of them in white gumpaste now and then dip them in a mixture of very strong color and vodka.  After this dries then I may airbrush them for a little more shading.

One thing for sure our sugar world is a constant blending, mixing, shading, airbrushing, painting and etc use of color.  It would sure be a really boring world if we could only use white and ivory icing on our sugar creations.  

Bridal1:  We have one church here with fluorescent lighting and the colors are always off.
CCChefDol:  not so bad in the daytime if you can get some outside light
CCChefPwd:  We have a winery that has some strange lighting.  Really yellow -
some really interesting cakes when they are delivered out there because nothing looks like it should
CCChefDol:  lets seee...blue & yellow make green??? Makes you think you did something wrong?
CCChefPwd:  Thank goodness it changes their dress colors to.
Martinbev:  I delivered a wedding cake to a sports bar once.  Awful. I asked for more lighting and they told me they didn't have any lighting!!  ych. I didn't do that anymore.
CCChefDol:  not easy setting wedding cakes up in the dark

CCChefPwd:  Is there anyone who makes food coloring in Magenta
CCChefDol:  magenta...a funny pink?
CCChefPwd:  I hung lace points once with a flash light because the electricity got knocked out with a storm.  So you can set up a cake in the dark as long as you have a trusty husband with you to hold up the flashlight
Martinbev:  True True!  I much prefered churches or reception halls.
GOOO8:  That would have made me a bundle of nerves Pwd.
CCChefPwd:  A little scary since they were telling us we might have to go to the basement if the tornado decided to turn and come toward us. They threw all the swimming pool furniture in the swimming pool.
CCChefDol:  my hubby gets flustered...I don't like to bring him along. And I sure do drive with a wedding cake in the car
Bridal1:  you don't trust Bob??
CCChefDol:  LOL...he gets too nervous
Icing Wiz:  My hubby helped me once he wasn't careful when placing the cake down and it ended up with a huge hole. that turned out to be the back of the cake
CCChefPwd:  I guess that beats chasing it down after a storm
CCChefDol:  I had a wedding cake and the entire party had to spend 2 hrs of the rec. in the church basement...tornado warnings
Melismyles:  had a cake this summer where i worked that was under too much light and melted the fondant all fell apart....wasnt my cake and i almost cried....
CCChefPwd:  Wow that was a hot light
Melismyles:  yep....and it was hot out....
Icing Wiz:  what about black I have told people to use chocolate then add black. But what if they don't want to use chocolate
CCChefPwd:  Color the icing with brown or blue and then add black
Icing Wiz:  Thanks Pwd! By the way I LOVED your cake on the cover of ACD

JWGPKG:   I'm going to try to make one of Mercedes' baby in the bassinets.
CCChefPwd:  JWGPKG did you take a class with Mercades
Icing Wiz:  So did I and so did G000
CCChefPwd:  Thanks Icing - don't use that Italian Cream cake receipe - you will have a mess
GOOO8:  I loved both classes!
Icing Wiz:  I took her bow class it was amazing
CCChefPwd:  I wish I could take one with her
CCChefDol:  did she teach rolled fondant or gumpaste?
Bridal1:  I heard from Carol Webb that she did good in Florida with her classes
CCChefDol:  7 hours wow!
GOOO8:  she's a very gifted and entertaining person.
Icing Wiz:  fondant and pastillage
CCChefPwd:  SOOOOOOO talented that girl

CLASSES & TEACHERS WHO THEY RECOMMEND:
JOSANDSER:  Hi Guys! I heard all of you talking about the chat in Daytona so here I am
CCChefPwd:  Hi JOSANDSER - glad you are here.   You mean you guys talk about us behind our backs???? Or should I say behind our computers?  LOL
JOSANDSER:  yes I gave you my husband's business card, I made the peach cakes
JWGPKG:  Sorry, Pwd - was sending e-mail.  Yes, I took Mercedes' rose class and the one with the baby in the bassinet.  What a teacher!  I also worked one-on-one with Rosemary Watson.
GOOO8:  Any of you take any Carol Webb classes?
CCChefPwd:  Count your blessing girl - those are special people
Icing Wiz:  Winbecklers didn't show up!
CCChefDol:  didn't show up???
Bridal1:  were they on the schedule?
Icing Wiz:  I had 2 classes with Geraldine and 2 with Rosemary, one with Mercedes and one with Mara Lee - It was the most expensive one too
Icing Wiz:  Yes, in fact I had paid for a class with Roland
JOSANDSER:  I am going to take carol webb's class next time I love her lace orms
CCChefPwd:  Was this the big weekend in Florida with mini classes
Bridal1:  what did they do in their place?
CCChefDol:  get your money back???
GOOO8:  It was the Daytona Mini Classes event.
Icing Wiz:  I was able to pick another class but I had wanted that one
JOSANDSER:  the ball mold pan which is used to make the peach cakes
CCChefDol:  the ball pan is still avail, wwe carry it
Bridal1:  did you find out why they didn't make it?
JWGPKG:  Some of the other teachers filled in - Barbara Green did some buttercream and sugar eggs.
Icing Wiz:  But I met a wonderful woman from S. Carolina who showed us the buttercream orchids, magnolia and other beautiful large flowers you do right on the cake
JWGPKG:  Apparently classes wreen't full enough for them.
GOOO8:  They wanted a guaranteed specific number of students and it was just under that.
JOSANDSER:  Good for the mold , its wonderful
GOOO8:  Barbara Green---great orchids etc
CCChefPwd:  Sounds like you guys had a wonderful weekend
CCChefPwd:  I am turning green from envy
CCChefDol:  I know Barbara - lives close to me...came to visit at the shop once
JWGPKG:  You learned something new in every class.  Teachers were all great.
GOOO8:  I took her Sugar Egg class and thoroughly enjoyed it.
CCChefDol:  Barbara Green makes GREAT Panorama eggs too- sends them all over the country I understand
GOOO8:  That's what she said in class ...  I brought one home with me.

CCChefDol:  have you all been to Pwd's web site this week???? LOTS of changes. She has Feb on...did it all herself!...brag brag brag

JOSANDSER:  Do you chefs recommend a particular airbrush?
CCChefDol:  JOS, the KopyKake Airmaster is what we have. The air flow is SO
smooth. There is even a picture on our web site at http://www.sugarcraft.com/airbrush/airbrush.htm
CCChefPwd:  That large compressor is the best for airbrushes. Not all that splattered color you get with the small compressors
CCChefDol:  right Pwd...air flows smoother. I had the 'cheapy' airbrush for years. I didn't know what I was missing until I got the Airmaster.
CCChefDol:  right Pwd...that is very true. Air sprays so smoothly now that we can airbrush a flower with no specks
Icing Wiz:  I have yet to buy an airbrush. Is it hard to learn how to use?
CCChefDol:  it is SO easy Icing...just the cost is hard
JWGPKG:  My next larger purchase is a motor for my pasta machine (great for
gumpaste), then maybe an airbrush in the future
Bridal1:  If you come to Kansas City to the ICES convention, you can see all the different kinds of airbrushes
Icing Wiz:  pasta machine yes!!!!!
CCChefDol:  JW...I saw that on Rosemary Watson's web site I think
CCChefPwd:  Love those pasta machines
CCChefDol:  when I got flowers too dark of color, I airbrushed white on them. Its even a pretty added touch.

CCChefDol:  Put all leftover icings together for black too!
GOOO8:  I heard of that little trick just this weekend as a matter of fact.

Chef Nana1:  is the color wheel available to buy anywhere?
CCChefPwd:  Go to any art store Chef Nana
Thinkchoc:  Nana look in a fabric store, or where they sell quilting supplies
CCChefDol:  The color wheel WAS in the old Wilton lesson book, course one
L2jlu2:  sometimes alos in cake dec books in old Wilton, hard cover books
CCChefPwd:  It is a basic tool for all art students so anyplace art supplies are sold should have one
Bridal1:  the color wheel is sometimes in the Wilton yearbook
CCChefDol:  the color wheel is a big help

FnlygnfrAZ:  Hello: quick question.  I am making cinnamon rolls and have not
brown sugar, can I substitute white sugar?
Bridal1:  fnly, I use white sugar anyway
FnlygnfrAZ:  You think it will be okay?
Bridal1:  It will be fine Fnly
Chef Nana1:  ok thanks...gee i may have it! wouldn't that be pitiful? lol

CCChefPwd:  I think the only color I have tried to mix and simply could not get it was magenta.  That is a tough color to mix
Bridal1:  I find that my color ability is great when dyeing shoes in the bridal shop. I get some weird colors to try to match
Szyhmkr:  I had a devil of a time the first time I mixed black as a new decorator!!
CCChefPwd:  Oh Bridal it better be - That would be an expensive mistake
Bridal1:  Yes, it has been expensive a couple of times!
CCChefDol:  Wilton's food coloring leaves a lot to be desired Szy
Bridal1:  one time my husband took 2 pair of shoes for 2 girls for Prom and mixed the sizes up and we had wrong color for the wrong girl.  I bought 2 new pairs of shoes
CCChefPwd:  Chefmasters colors are great but you need a specialty cake shop to be able to purchase then locally
CCChefPwd:  Our shop in town basically is a party shop and only carries Wilton stuff
CCChefDol:  true pwd...most shops only stock Wilton

ICES 99:
Bridal1:  That's why everyone cake decorator needs to be at our '99 ICES convention
CCChefDol:  so true Bridal!!!!!
Bridal1:  We have some new vendors that I'm anxious to see
CCChefPwd:  Those of us who go to convention every year are amazed to.
MHohimer:  I'm not too busy now and can take your registrations .
CCChefPwd:  That ICES convention/show/sharing is coming fast
GOOO8:  Having attended the mini classes this weekend, I can't even begin to imagine what ICES' like
Icing Wiz:  Goo never been to a convention?
GOOO8:  Nooooo
Bridal1:  GOOO8, are you coming??
CCChefDol:  GOOO...mini classes are always fun too - different...ICES is old
home week
CCChefPwd:  I got a big dose of reality that year.  They asked me to help for a couple of hours and I think I spent nearlY all day
Szyhmkr:  I'm sorry, I have to go,,dinner is ready...
MHohimer:  If you haven't been, now is the time.
Icing Wiz:  I am going this year
Bridal1:  If you liked the mini classes, this is 100 times better
CCChefDol:  GOOO...register before June 1 - its cheaper
CCChefPwd:  You can't really understand how great ICES is until you go to one convention
Bridal1:  I've only missed one since 1977
MHohimer:  I've missed one since 1983, my first time.
CCChefDol:  missed 3 since 1975 or 6...when was albequerque?
Icing Wiz:  and lots of film to develop
MHohimer:  Float a loan ladies, well worth it.
CCChefDol:  Icing...I send my film to Clark's...its $3.00 for 36 prints
Bridal1:  yeah, I usually use about 18 rolls of film
Icing Wiz:  I have advantix so it is more expensive
CCChefPwd:  Absolutely Millie - it recharges the ideas and gets you excited again
Martinbev:  If you have a Sam's near you, use them for developing. Cheap.
CCChefDol:  I got an Advantix too Icing! Loved yours
GOOO8:  Yes, I definitely agree with that Pwd.  I came back all enthused.
CCChefDol:  Maybe Clark'e doesn't do Advantix
Icing Wiz:  Goo you can share a room with me. Lourdes might be sharing too
MHohimer:  I don't do decorating anymore but I sure would hate to miss ICES.
GOOO8:  Couldn't stop.  Had to start watching the baby bassinet video even tho I took the class
CCChefPwd:  The best way to go to convention is with a first timer. You see things through their eyes and it really is a wonderful convention
CCChefDol:  My fIrst time...went to breakfast at the hotel and there was Richard Snyder! I  Recognized him from his photo in his book.
Bridal1:  they're all great - just seeing old friends is great!
MHohimer:  First timers are just overwhelmed.
L2jlu2:  im trying real hard to go this year would be first time
CCChefPwd:  My mom went for the first time last year and she now understands why it is important for me to go every year.
Btcakelady:  I've only been twice but convention was fantastic
CCChefDol:  she actually knows you better now Pwd
CCChefPwd:  She thought I already knew everything.  LOL Mothers..... Now she knows I don't
MHohimer:  I will be in Registration and want to meet all of you.

Btcakelady:  Is there a convention planned for CA, when
L2jlu2:  when in California
Bridal1:  I wasn't impressed with California when convention was there in '85
Icing Wiz:  I thought California was trying
CCChefPwd:  Difficult show  and difficult place
Bridal1:  Haven't heard if they are Wiz
Icing Wiz:  where was it in California
MHohimer:  Tennessee in 2002
Bridal1:  Oh, yes, Pwd.  I was on board then, too.
CCChefDol:  I'e been all up and down through California. I like it very much
Bridal1:  Long Beach, Calif.
CCChefDol:  I liked the CA convention...I remember I made chocolate/peanut butter buckeyes and people from out there didn’t know what they were.
GOOO8:  I don't know what a buckeye is either.
CCChefDol:  but we make chocolate buckeyes too.. with peanut butter filling, dipped in choc
Btcakelady:  we call them p-nut butter kisses
CCChefPwd:  Passing the Buck-eyes - everyone have one.
Martinbev:  My family is from Ohio. We live on Buckeyes at Christmas.
CCChefDol:  L2, they really grow on the buckeye tree...OH state tree. But we make them with peanut butter and dip in chocolate

GOOO8:  Ladies, I'd like to introduce my very good friend, Bev (Martinbev) who is joining us for the first time tonight
CCChefPwd:  Welcome Bev - glad to have you with us.  A big Howdy from Texas
Martinbev:  Hi Yall.  GOOO is wonderful.  She told how great you all are and I had to visit.
Bridal1:  Missouri's the place to be for ICES '99 Bev
CarolA5238:  thanks, I'm lookong forward to going!

GOOO8:  Cake question:  Anyone baked that diabetic white cake? I tried it last night and was sadly disappointed; but haven't tasted yet.
CCChefDol:  GOOO I have baked the box-mix...its a half of a recipe I think
CCChefPwd:  1/3 Dol the last time I used it. I had to buy three of the Diabetic cake mixes to make the same amount of batter as one regular mix
MHohimer:  What diabetic cake are you talking about?
GOOO8:  I found a recipe posted sometime back and it's the same as the one in my diabetic dessert bk
GOOO8:  It calls for sorbitol as the sugar substitute and two stiffly beaten egg whites folded last.
GOOO8:  I have a one inch thin cake.

NOTICE: FOR THOSE  OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT REGISTERED…YOU SHOULD DO SO RIGHT [[[NOW]]]. I UNDERSTAND THE MARRIOT IS GETTING ALL FILLED UP. UNLESS YOU WANT TO STAY IN SOME FAR OFF HOTEL YOU’D BETTER HURRY.