diff --git a/test/visual/renderer.hpp b/test/visual/renderer.hpp
index 6b033f99c..7ea9198df 100644
--- a/test/visual/renderer.hpp
+++ b/test/visual/renderer.hpp
@@ -38,10 +38,21 @@
 #if defined(GRID_RENDERER)
 #include <mapnik/grid/grid_renderer.hpp>
 #endif
+
 #if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
 #include <mapnik/cairo/cairo_renderer.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/cairo/cairo_image_util.hpp>
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_SVG_SURFACE
+#include <cairo-svg.h>
 #endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PS_SURFACE
+#include <cairo-ps.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PDF_SURFACE
+#include <cairo-pdf.h>
+#endif
+#endif
+
 #if defined(SVG_RENDERER)
 #include <mapnik/svg/output/svg_renderer.hpp>
 #endif
@@ -53,7 +64,7 @@ namespace visual_tests
 {
 
 template <typename ImageType>
-struct renderer_base
+struct raster_renderer_base
 {
     using image_type = ImageType;
 
@@ -80,7 +91,35 @@ struct renderer_base
     }
 };
 
-struct agg_renderer : renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
+struct vector_renderer_base
+{
+    using image_type = std::string;
+
+    static constexpr const bool support_tiles = false;
+
+    unsigned compare(image_type const & actual, boost::filesystem::path const& reference) const
+    {
+        std::ifstream stream(reference.string().c_str(), std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::binary);
+        if (!stream)
+        {
+            throw std::runtime_error("Could not open: " + reference.string());
+        }
+        std::string expected(std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(stream.rdbuf()), std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
+        return std::max(actual.size(), expected.size()) - std::min(actual.size(), expected.size());
+    }
+
+    void save(image_type const & image, boost::filesystem::path const& path) const
+    {
+        std::ofstream file(path.string().c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::trunc | std::ios::binary);
+        if (!file)
+        {
+            throw std::runtime_error("Cannot open file for writing: " + path.string());
+        }
+        file << image;
+    }
+};
+
+struct agg_renderer : raster_renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
 {
     static constexpr const char * name = "agg";
 
@@ -94,7 +133,7 @@ struct agg_renderer : renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
 };
 
 #if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
-struct cairo_renderer : renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
+struct cairo_renderer : raster_renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
 {
     static constexpr const char * name = "cairo";
 
@@ -111,14 +150,65 @@ struct cairo_renderer : renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
         return image;
     }
 };
+
+using surface_create_type = cairo_surface_t *(&)(cairo_write_func_t, void *, double, double);
+
+template <surface_create_type SurfaceCreateFunction>
+struct cairo_vector_renderer : vector_renderer_base
+{
+    static cairo_status_t write(void *closure,
+                                const unsigned char *data,
+                                unsigned int length)
+    {
+        std::ostringstream & ss = *reinterpret_cast<std::ostringstream*>(closure);
+        ss.write(reinterpret_cast<char const *>(data), length);
+        return ss ? CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS : CAIRO_STATUS_WRITE_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    image_type render(mapnik::Map const & map, double scale_factor) const
+    {
+        std::ostringstream ss(std::stringstream::binary);
+        mapnik::cairo_surface_ptr image_surface(
+            SurfaceCreateFunction(write, &ss, map.width(), map.height()),
+            mapnik::cairo_surface_closer());
+        mapnik::cairo_ptr image_context(mapnik::create_context(image_surface));
+        mapnik::cairo_renderer<mapnik::cairo_ptr> ren(map, image_context, scale_factor);
+        ren.apply();
+        cairo_surface_finish(&*image_surface);
+        return ss.str();
+    }
+};
+
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_SVG_SURFACE
+struct cairo_svg_renderer : cairo_vector_renderer<cairo_svg_surface_create_for_stream>
+{
+    static constexpr const char * name = "cairo-svg";
+    static constexpr const char * ext = ".svg";
+};
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PS_SURFACE
+struct cairo_ps_renderer : cairo_vector_renderer<cairo_ps_surface_create_for_stream>
+{
+    static constexpr const char * name = "cairo-ps";
+    static constexpr const char * ext = ".ps";
+};
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PDF_SURFACE
+struct cairo_pdf_renderer : cairo_vector_renderer<cairo_pdf_surface_create_for_stream>
+{
+    static constexpr const char * name = "cairo-pdf";
+    static constexpr const char * ext = ".pdf";
+};
+#endif
 #endif
 
 #if defined(SVG_RENDERER)
-struct svg_renderer : renderer_base<std::string>
+struct svg_renderer : vector_renderer_base
 {
     static constexpr const char * name = "svg";
     static constexpr const char * ext = ".svg";
-    static constexpr const bool support_tiles = false;
 
     image_type render(mapnik::Map const & map, double scale_factor) const
     {
@@ -128,35 +218,11 @@ struct svg_renderer : renderer_base<std::string>
         ren.apply();
         return ss.str();
     }
-
-    unsigned compare(image_type const & actual, boost::filesystem::path const& reference) const
-    {
-        std::ifstream stream(reference.string().c_str(),std::ios_base::in|std::ios_base::binary);
-        if (!stream.is_open())
-        {
-            throw std::runtime_error("could not open: '" + reference.string() + "'");
-        }
-        std::string expected(std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(stream.rdbuf()),(std::istreambuf_iterator<char>()));
-        stream.close();
-        return std::max(actual.size(), expected.size()) - std::min(actual.size(), expected.size());
-    }
-
-    void save(image_type const & image, boost::filesystem::path const& path) const
-    {
-        std::ofstream file(path.string().c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::trunc | std::ios::binary);
-        if (!file) {
-            throw std::runtime_error((std::string("cannot open file for writing file ") + path.string()).c_str());
-        } else {
-            file << image;
-            file.close();
-        }
-    }
-
 };
 #endif
 
 #if defined(GRID_RENDERER)
-struct grid_renderer : renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
+struct grid_renderer : raster_renderer_base<mapnik::image_rgba8>
 {
     static constexpr const char * name = "grid";
 
@@ -335,6 +401,15 @@ private:
 using renderer_type = mapnik::util::variant<renderer<agg_renderer>
 #if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
                                             ,renderer<cairo_renderer>
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_SVG_SURFACE
+                                            ,renderer<cairo_svg_renderer>
+#endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PS_SURFACE
+                                            ,renderer<cairo_ps_renderer>
+#endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PDF_SURFACE
+                                            ,renderer<cairo_pdf_renderer>
+#endif
 #endif
 #if defined(SVG_RENDERER)
                                             ,renderer<svg_renderer>
diff --git a/test/visual/run.cpp b/test/visual/run.cpp
index 70284bc3e..9b6ae879f 100644
--- a/test/visual/run.cpp
+++ b/test/visual/run.cpp
@@ -48,30 +48,48 @@ namespace po = boost::program_options;
 
 runner::renderer_container create_renderers(po::variables_map const & args,
                                             boost::filesystem::path const & output_dir,
-                                            bool append_all = false)
+                                            bool force_append = false)
 {
     boost::filesystem::path reference_dir(args["images-dir"].as<std::string>());
     bool overwrite = args.count("overwrite");
     runner::renderer_container renderers;
 
-    if (append_all || args.count(agg_renderer::name))
+    if (force_append || args.count(agg_renderer::name))
     {
         renderers.emplace_back(renderer<agg_renderer>(output_dir, reference_dir, overwrite));
     }
 #if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
-    if (append_all || args.count(cairo_renderer::name))
+    if (force_append || args.count(cairo_renderer::name))
     {
         renderers.emplace_back(renderer<cairo_renderer>(output_dir, reference_dir, overwrite));
     }
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_SVG_SURFACE
+    if (args.count(cairo_svg_renderer::name))
+    {
+        renderers.emplace_back(renderer<cairo_svg_renderer>(output_dir, reference_dir, overwrite));
+    }
+#endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PS_SURFACE
+    if (args.count(cairo_ps_renderer::name))
+    {
+        renderers.emplace_back(renderer<cairo_ps_renderer>(output_dir, reference_dir, overwrite));
+    }
+#endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PDF_SURFACE
+    if (args.count(cairo_pdf_renderer::name))
+    {
+        renderers.emplace_back(renderer<cairo_pdf_renderer>(output_dir, reference_dir, overwrite));
+    }
+#endif
 #endif
 #if defined(SVG_RENDERER)
-    if (append_all || args.count(svg_renderer::name))
+    if (force_append || args.count(svg_renderer::name))
     {
         renderers.emplace_back(renderer<svg_renderer>(output_dir, reference_dir, overwrite));
     }
 #endif
 #if defined(GRID_RENDERER)
-    if (append_all || args.count(grid_renderer::name))
+    if (force_append || args.count(grid_renderer::name))
     {
         renderers.emplace_back(renderer<grid_renderer>(output_dir, reference_dir, overwrite));
     }
@@ -112,6 +130,15 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         (agg_renderer::name, "render with AGG renderer")
 #if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
         (cairo_renderer::name, "render with Cairo renderer")
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_SVG_SURFACE
+        (cairo_svg_renderer::name, "render with Cairo SVG renderer")
+#endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PS_SURFACE
+        (cairo_ps_renderer::name, "render with Cairo PS renderer")
+#endif
+#ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PDF_SURFACE
+        (cairo_pdf_renderer::name, "render with Cairo PDF renderer")
+#endif
 #endif
 #if defined(SVG_RENDERER)
         (svg_renderer::name, "render with SVG renderer")