Decoding Tip Numbers in .NET

Maker Code128 in .NET Decoding Tip Numbers

You may have taken a look at icing tips before and thought: How can there possibly be so many How will I ever know what to do with each of them Aren t they like a pencil can t one sort of do everything Tips are marvelous because, after you master the mechanics of filling and holding a pastry bag, they put a staggering number of decorating possibilities at your disposal Don t be put off by the number of tips there are to choose from or think of the preparation part as drudgery Think of yourself as a painter lining up brushes and tools to accomplish a masterpiece When you first get started using tips, you re likely to rely on a few tips for most of your designs and projects When you get comfortable with those, it s easier than ever to branch out into more tips and add more designs to your repertoire

Although you probably know what scripting means, you may not have heard some of the other common terms that relate to a tip s form and function (The next section tells you which tips create which result) The following are standard tip techniques: Basket weave: With a basket weave, you replicate in frosting the look of a woven basket Traditional basket weave tips are grooved, creating depth and dimension for rows and rows of straight lines that run alternately horizontally and vertically, usually around the sides of a cake Borders: Borders can be straight lines, stars, rosettes, shells, or many other forms and frills They provide a finished look along the top and bottom edges of the cake Drop flowers: Drop flowers are usually more representative than realistic in their design You use any number of tips to create a quick flower Fill in: When you fill in, you complete an artwork outline using lines or stars in a repeating pattern, compacting those lines and stars as close as possible so that the background frosting doesn t show through Fill in is similar to the paint-by-number process or coloring in a coloring book Fleur-de-lis: This pretty cake adornment is a stylized version of the iris flower It makes a dramatic repeated design Garlands and swags: These designs consist of strands of icing that can resemble ribbons, vines, or swinging banners You can embellish them further with frosting shells, dots, or rosettes They create interest around the circumference of the cake Lace: Tight, skinny lines and curls of frosting create this look, which is especially popular on shower and wedding cakes Lattice work: Much like a trellis you d find as part of a landscape design, lattice work on a cake makes a realistic backdrop for climbing designs Lattice work is kind of like a basket weave but features more space in between the piped lines Lettering: You use the most basic round tips to create block letters on a cake Outlines: If you re trying to set off part or all of your decorating work, you may opt to define it with a fine or thick outline of icing in a darker color Rosettes: Resembling mini-roses, rosettes are a pretty addition to a cake s rim, base, or surface design Like drop flowers, they re more representative than realistic

Ruffles: These wavy, thick bands of frosting make a luxurious border Scripting: This technique refers to writing words on the cake in cursive Shells: Another popular border choice, shells may take a bit of practice to get right The icing tip s groove marks create indentations like you d find on a seashell You can leave shells plain or embellish them for more dramatic effect Stars: A very popular decoration for borders and a feature in a multitude of designs, stars fit in with many themes and color schemes Besides being simple to pipe, rows and rows of stars can fill in sections of a bigger design for a textured and impressive (but easy to complete) look