DIY Coffee Machine Prints Your Name on Cappuccinos

You’ve always disliked how latte art covers up the beautiful contrast between coffee crema and milk foam. But what if your coffee could still be personalized—without hiding what’s underneath? One innovation outside traditional coffee culture found a clever workaround.

Yes, you can now get a cappuccino with your name or a custom message printed directly on the foam—without any latte art. A DIY coffee machine built by a tech company lets you send a text, and your drink comes out with your chosen words in edible ink, all while keeping the coffee’s natural layers visible.

How a Tech Company Built a Text-to-Coffee Printer

Zipwhip, a cloud messaging company, is known for thinking beyond typical telecom solutions. Their team of innovators decided to merge coffee brewing with digital messaging—and ended up crafting something unexpectedly delightful. Using a Jura Impressa XS90 espresso machine, a standard inkjet printer, and an Arduino open-source electronics platform, they developed a prototype they call 'Textspresso.'

What Textspresso Actually Does

The Textspresso machine automates the entire coffee-making process. Once you send a text message to the system, it triggers the coffee machine to brew your drink. After the espresso and steamed milk are prepared, the machine uses an attached printer—with edible ink—to print your custom text (like your name or a short message) onto the foam of your cappuccino. It’s a fully hands-off, text-triggered coffee experience that adds a personal touch without covering the coffee’s natural look.

Why This Matters for Coffee Lovers

Many coffee enthusiasts prefer seeing the rich contrast between crema and milk foam, especially in cappuccinos and lattes. Traditional latte art, while beautiful, can sometimes mask those details. Textspresso keeps the crema and foam layer visible while still letting you add a personal message—making your cup uniquely yours, without compromising the coffee’s visual appeal.

The Tech Behind the Custom Coffee

The project repurposes everyday tech: a high-end Jura Impressa XS90 espresso machine handles the coffee brewing, while a regular printer modified with edible ink does the printing. The entire system is controlled via Arduino, an accessible open-source electronics prototyping platform. When you send a text to the system, it cues the machine to start brewing, steam milk, and finish by printing your message directly onto the foam—all without manual input once the text is received.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of coffee machine was used to make the Textspresso?

The DIY coffee machine is built around a Jura Impressa XS90, a high-quality commercial-grade espresso machine capable of producing consistent espresso shots and steamed milk—essential for making cappuccinos with printed messages.

How does the text-to-coffee system work?

You send a text message to the machine. The system, powered by Arduino, receives the message and starts the coffee-making process automatically. The machine brews the espresso, steams the milk, and then uses an edible ink printer to print your custom message or name on the cappuccino foam.

Does the printed message cover up the coffee crema and foam?

No. The message is printed directly onto the foam using edible ink, and the design leaves the crema and the natural milk foam visible underneath—addressing a common preference among coffee drinkers who enjoy seeing the contrast between crema and foam.

What is Arduino and why was it used in this project?

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform used for building interactive projects. In the Textspresso, it acts as the control hub that links the text message input, coffee machine, and edible ink printer to create a fully automated, customized coffee experience.

Can I make one of these machines at home?

The project was a custom DIY build by a tech company’s team using readily available components like a Jura Impressa XS90, a modified printer, and an Arduino board. While technically possible, it requires advanced knowledge of electronics, coffee machine mechanics, and edible printing systems.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Milk-Based Coffee

For cappuccinos and lattes where you want crema and foam to shine—just like with the Textspresso—try FrontStreet Coffee’s Specialty Blend, which combines Colombian beans with Brazilian half-day coffee for a smooth, sweet profile ideal for milk drinks. The Strawberry Candy Espresso blend also works wonderfully, offering rose, grape, and citrus notes when paired with milk. Both showcase complex flavours without losing the crema’s visual appeal. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.