diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp
index 0695e7577..15bf2505e 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp
@@ -196,19 +196,40 @@ void render_to_file1(const mapnik::Map& map,
                     const std::string& filename,
                     const std::string& format)
 {
-    mapnik::image_32 image(map.getWidth(),map.getHeight());
-    render(map,image,0,0);
-    mapnik::save_to_file(image,filename,format); 
+    if (format == "pdf" || format == "svg" || format =="ps" || format == "ARGB32" || format == "RGB24")
+    {
+#if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
+        mapnik::save_to_cairo_file(map,filename,format);
+#else
+        throw mapnik::ImageWriterException("Cairo backend not available, cannot write to format: " + format);
+#endif
+    }
+    else 
+    {
+        mapnik::image_32 image(map.getWidth(),map.getHeight());
+        render(map,image,0,0);
+        mapnik::save_to_file(image,filename,format); 
+}
 }
 
-void render_to_file2(const mapnik::Map& map,
-                    const std::string& filename)
+void render_to_file2(const mapnik::Map& map,const std::string& filename)
 {
-    mapnik::image_32 image(map.getWidth(),map.getHeight());
-    render(map,image,0,0);
-    mapnik::save_to_file(image,filename); 
+    std::string format = mapnik::guess_type(filename);
+    if (format == "pdf" || format == "svg" || format =="ps")
+    {
+#if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
+        mapnik::save_to_cairo_file(map,filename,format);
+#else
+        throw mapnik::ImageWriterException("Cairo backend not available, cannot write to format: " + format);
+#endif
+    }
+    else 
+    {
+        mapnik::image_32 image(map.getWidth(),map.getHeight());
+        render(map,image,0,0);
+        mapnik::save_to_file(image,filename); 
+}
 }
-
 
 double scale_denominator(mapnik::Map const &map, bool geographic)
 {
diff --git a/demo/python/rundemo.py b/demo/python/rundemo.py
index cdab8f77f..77a60a1b8 100644
--- a/demo/python/rundemo.py
+++ b/demo/python/rundemo.py
@@ -23,12 +23,20 @@
 # Import everything.  In this case this is safe, in more complex systems, you
 # will want to be more selective.
 
+import sys
+
 try:
     import mapnik
 except:
     print '\n\nThe mapnik library and python bindings must have been compiled and \
 installed successfully before running this script.\n\n'
-    raise
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+try:
+    import cairo
+    HAS_PYCAIRO_MODULE = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_PYCAIRO_MODULE = False
 
 # Instanciate a map, giving it a width and height. Remember: the word "map" is
 # reserved in Python! :)
@@ -317,38 +325,55 @@ im = mapnik.Image(m.width,m.height)
 mapnik.render(m, im)
 
 # Save image to files
-images = []
+images_ = []
 im.save('demo.png', 'png') # true-colour RGBA
-images.append('demo.png')
+images_.append('demo.png')
 im.save('demo256.png', 'png256') # save to palette based (max 256 colours) png 
-images.append('demo256.png')
-im.save('demo.jpg', 'jpeg')
-images.append('demo.jpg')
+images_.append('demo256.png')
+im.save('demo_high.jpg', 'jpeg100')
+images_.append('demo_high.jpg')
+im.save('demo_low.jpg', 'jpeg50')
+images_.append('demo_low.jpg')
 
 # Render cairo examples
-if mapnik.has_pycairo():
+if HAS_PYCAIRO_MODULE and mapnik.has_pycairo():
     
-    import cairo
     svg_surface = cairo.SVGSurface('demo.svg', m.width,m.height)
     mapnik.render(m, svg_surface)
     svg_surface.finish()
-    images.append('demo.svg')
+    images_.append('demo.svg')
 
     pdf_surface = cairo.PDFSurface('demo.pdf', m.width,m.height)
     mapnik.render(m, pdf_surface)
-    images.append('demo.pdf')
+    images_.append('demo.pdf')
     pdf_surface.finish()
 
     postscript_surface = cairo.PSSurface('demo.ps', m.width,m.height)
     mapnik.render(m, postscript_surface)
-    images.append('demo.ps')
+    images_.append('demo.ps')
     postscript_surface.finish()    
-else:
-    print '\n\nSkipping cairo examples as Mapnik Pycairo support not available'
 
-print "\n\n", len(images), "maps have been rendered in the current directory:"
-for image in images:
-    print "-", image
+else:
+    print '\n\nPycairo not available...',
+    if  mapnik.has_cairo():
+        print ' will render Cairo formats using alternative method'
+        
+        mapnik.render_to_file(m,'demo.pdf')
+        images_.append('demo.pdf')
+        mapnik.render_to_file(m,'demo.ps')
+        images_.append('demo.ps')
+        mapnik.render_to_file(m,'demo.svg')
+        images_.append('demo.svg')
+        mapnik.render_to_file(m,'demo_cairo_rgb.png','RGB24')
+        images_.append('demo_cairo_rgb.png')
+        mapnik.render_to_file(m,'demo_cairo_argb.png','ARGB32')
+        images_.append('demo_cairo_argb.png')
+
+print "\n\n", len(images_), "maps have been rendered in the current directory:"
+    
+for im_ in images_:
+    print "-", im_
+
 print "\n\nHave a look!\n\n"
 
 mapnik.save_map(m,"map.xml")
diff --git a/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp b/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp
index b7484a7b7..a1f8844c4 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/config.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/map.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/graphics.hpp>
 
 // boost
@@ -55,6 +56,10 @@ namespace mapnik {
         }
     };
 
+   MAPNIK_DECL void save_to_cairo_file(mapnik::Map const& map,
+                                        std::string const& filename,
+                                        std::string const& type);
+
    template <typename T>
    MAPNIK_DECL void save_to_file(T const& image,
                                  std::string const& filename,
@@ -93,18 +98,37 @@ namespace mapnik {
       return boost::algorithm::iends_with(filename,std::string(".tif")) ||
          boost::algorithm::iends_with(filename,std::string(".tiff"));
    }
-   
-inline boost::optional<std::string> type_from_filename(std::string const& filename)
-{
-    typedef boost::optional<std::string> result_type;
-    if (is_png(filename)) return result_type("png");
-    if (is_jpeg(filename)) return result_type("jpeg");
-    if (is_tiff(filename)) return result_type("tiff");
-    return result_type();
-}
 
-inline std::string guess_type( const std::string & filename )
-{
+   inline bool is_pdf (std::string const& filename)
+   {
+      return boost::algorithm::iends_with(filename,std::string(".pdf"));
+   }
+
+   inline bool is_svg (std::string const& filename)
+   {
+      return boost::algorithm::iends_with(filename,std::string(".svg"));
+   }
+
+   inline bool is_ps (std::string const& filename)
+   {
+      return boost::algorithm::iends_with(filename,std::string(".ps"));
+   }
+   
+   inline boost::optional<std::string> type_from_filename(std::string const& filename)
+
+   {
+      typedef boost::optional<std::string> result_type;
+      if (is_png(filename)) return result_type("png");
+      if (is_jpeg(filename)) return result_type("jpeg");
+      if (is_tiff(filename)) return result_type("tiff");
+      if (is_pdf(filename)) return result_type("pdf");
+      if (is_svg(filename)) return result_type("svg");
+      if (is_ps(filename)) return result_type("ps");
+      return result_type();
+   }
+
+  inline std::string guess_type( const std::string & filename )
+  {
       std::string::size_type idx = filename.find_last_of(".");
       if ( idx != std::string::npos ) {
           return filename.substr( idx + 1 );
diff --git a/src/image_util.cpp b/src/image_util.cpp
index 32a91bd69..7916b85ca 100644
--- a/src/image_util.cpp
+++ b/src/image_util.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ extern "C"
 #include <mapnik/memory.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image_view.hpp>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CAIRO
+#include <mapnik/cairo_renderer.hpp>
+#endif
+
 // stl
 #include <string>
 #include <iostream>
@@ -104,8 +108,10 @@ namespace mapnik
             }
             else throw ImageWriterException("unknown file type: " + type);
         } 
+        else throw ImageWriterException("Could not write file to " + filename );
     }
 	
+	
     template <typename T>
     void save_to_file(T const& image,std::string const& filename)
     {
@@ -115,7 +121,63 @@ namespace mapnik
 	    save_to_file<T>(image,filename,*type);
 	}
     }
-     
+
+#if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
+    // TODO - move to separate cairo_io.hpp
+    void save_to_cairo_file(mapnik::Map const& map, std::string const& filename)
+    {
+        boost::optional<std::string> type = type_from_filename(filename);
+        if (type)
+        {
+            save_to_cairo_file(map,filename,*type);
+        }
+    }
+
+    void save_to_cairo_file(mapnik::Map const& map,
+                      std::string const& filename,
+                      std::string const& type)
+    {
+        std::ofstream file (filename.c_str(), std::ios::out|std::ios::trunc|std::ios::binary);
+        if (file)
+        {
+          Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Surface> surface;
+          unsigned width = map.getWidth();
+          unsigned height = map.getHeight();
+          if (type == "pdf")
+              surface = Cairo::PdfSurface::create(filename,width,height);
+          else if (type == "svg")
+              surface = Cairo::SvgSurface::create(filename,width,height);
+          else if (type == "ps")
+              surface = Cairo::PsSurface::create(filename,width,height);
+          else if (type == "ARGB32")
+              surface = Cairo::ImageSurface::create(Cairo::FORMAT_ARGB32,width,height);
+          else if (type == "RGB24")
+              surface = Cairo::ImageSurface::create(Cairo::FORMAT_RGB24,width,height);
+          else 
+              throw ImageWriterException("unknown file type: " + type);    
+          Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> context = Cairo::Context::create(surface);
+    
+          // TODO - expose as user option
+          /*
+          if (type == "ARGB32" || type == "RGB24") 
+          { 
+              context->set_antialias(Cairo::ANTIALIAS_NONE); 
+          }
+          */
+          
+    
+          mapnik::cairo_renderer<Cairo::Context> ren(map, context);
+          ren.apply();
+    
+          if (type == "ARGB32" || type == "RGB24") 
+          { 
+              surface->write_to_png(filename);
+          }
+          surface->finish();
+        }
+    }
+
+#endif
 
     template void save_to_file<image_data_32>(image_data_32 const&,
                                             std::string const&,