diff --git a/examples/Makefile.am b/examples/Makefile.am
index 6da32a0..61e06f3 100644
--- a/examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir) -I$(top_srcdir)/pipi
 
-bin_PROGRAMS = edd img2rubik sharpen floodfill line bezier histogram
+bin_PROGRAMS = edd img2rubik sharpen floodfill line bezier histogram colorstring
 
 edd_SOURCES = edd.c
 edd_LDADD = ../pipi/libpipi.la
@@ -24,3 +24,6 @@ bezier_LDADD = ../pipi/libpipi.la
 
 histogram_SOURCES = histogram.c
 histogram_LDADD = ../pipi/libpipi.la
+
+colorstring_SOURCES = colorstring.c
+colorstring_LDADD = ../pipi/libpipi.la
diff --git a/examples/colorstring.c b/examples/colorstring.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ecde729
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/colorstring.c
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <pipi.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    if(argc!=2)
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Need one argument (only)\n");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    pipi_pixel_t *color = pipi_get_color_from_string(argv[1]);
+    printf("Color : %f %f %f %f\n",
+           color->pixel_float.r,
+           color->pixel_float.g,
+           color->pixel_float.b,
+           color->pixel_float.a);
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/pipi/Makefile.am b/pipi/Makefile.am
index bf1c08f..aa77553 100644
--- a/pipi/Makefile.am
+++ b/pipi/Makefile.am
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ libpipi_la_SOURCES = \
 	pixels.c \
 	codec.c \
 	stock.c \
+	colorstring.c \
 	resize.c \
 	dither.c \
 	measure.c \
diff --git a/pipi/colorstring.c b/pipi/colorstring.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a821f28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pipi/colorstring.c
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+/*
+ *  libpipi       Proper image processing implementation library
+ *  Copyright (c) 2004-2008 Sam Hocevar <sam@zoy.org>
+ *                2008 Jean-Yves Lamoureux <jylam@lnxscene.org
+ *                All Rights Reserved
+ *
+ *  $Id$
+ *
+ *  This library is free software. It comes without any warranty, to
+ *  the extent permitted by applicable law. You can redistribute it
+ *  and/or modify it under the terms of the Do What The Fuck You Want
+ *  To Public License, Version 2, as published by Sam Hocevar. See
+ *  http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/COPYING for more details.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * color.c: color parsing functions
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include "common.h"
+
+/*
+ *  libpipi       Proper image processing implementation library
+ *  Copyright (c) 2004-2008 Sam Hocevar <sam@zoy.org>
+ *                2008 Jean-Yves Lamoureux <jylam@lnxscene.org
+ *                All Rights Reserved
+ *
+ *  $Id$
+ *
+ *  This library is free software. It comes without any warranty, to
+ *  the extent permitted by applicable law. You can redistribute it
+ *  and/or modify it under the terms of the Do What The Fuck You Want
+ *  To Public License, Version 2, as published by Sam Hocevar. See
+ *  http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/COPYING for more details.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * colorstring.c: color from string functions
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include "common.h"
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "pipi.h"
+#include "pipi_internals.h"
+
+
+struct color_table
+{
+    char name[255];
+    float a,r,g,b;
+};
+
+struct color_table color_table[] =
+{
+    {.name = "black"  , 1,   0,    0,    0},
+    {.name = "white"  , 1,   1,    1,    1},
+    {.name = "red"    , 1,   1,    0,    0},
+    {.name = "green"  , 1,   0,    1,    0},
+    {.name = "blue"   , 1,   0,    0,    1},
+    {.name = "yellow" , 1,   1,    1,    0},
+    {.name = "cyan"   , 1,   0,    1,    1},
+    {.name = "magenta", 1,   1,    0,    1},
+    {.name = "grey"   , 1,   0.5,  0.5,  0.5},
+    {.name = "gray"   , 1,   0.5,  0.5,  0.5},
+    {.name = "grey50" , 1,   0.5,  0.5,  0.5},
+    {.name = "gray50" , 1,   0.5,  0.5,  0.5},
+    {.name = "grey25" , 1,   0.25, 0.25, 0.25},
+    {.name = "gray25" , 1,   0.25, 0.25, 0.25},
+};
+
+
+
+pipi_pixel_t *pipi_get_color_from_string(const char* s)
+{
+    if(!s) return NULL;
+
+
+    pipi_pixel_t *color = malloc(sizeof(pipi_pixel_t));
+
+
+    if(s[0] == '#')
+    {
+        uint32_t c = 0;
+        sscanf(s, "%x", &c);
+
+        color->pixel_float.a = ((c&0xFF000000)>>24) / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.r = ((c&0x00FF0000)>>16) / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.g = ((c&0x0000FF00)>>8)  / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.b = ((c&0x000000FF)>>0)  / 255.0f;
+    }
+    else if(!strncmp(s, "rgb(", 4))
+    {
+        uint32_t r ,g ,b;
+        sscanf(s, "rgb(%u,%u,%u)", &r, &g, &b);
+        color->pixel_float.r = r / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.g = g / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.b = b / 255.0f;
+    }
+    else if(!strncmp(s, "frgb(", 5))
+    {
+        float r ,g ,b;
+        sscanf(s, "frgb(%f,%f,%f)", &r, &g, &b);
+        color->pixel_float.r = r;
+        color->pixel_float.g = g;
+        color->pixel_float.b = b;
+    }
+    else if(!strncmp(s, "argb(", 4))
+    {
+        uint32_t a, r ,g ,b;
+        sscanf(s, "argb(%u,%u,%u,%u)", &a, &r, &g, &b);
+        color->pixel_float.a = a / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.r = r / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.g = g / 255.0f;
+        color->pixel_float.b = b / 255.0f;
+    }
+    else if(!strncmp(s, "fargb(", 5))
+    {
+        float a, r ,g ,b;
+        sscanf(s, "fargb(%f, %f,%f,%f)", &a, &r, &g, &b);
+        color->pixel_float.a = a;
+        color->pixel_float.r = r;
+        color->pixel_float.g = g;
+        color->pixel_float.b = b;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        unsigned int i;
+        for(i=0; i<sizeof(color_table); i++)
+        {
+            if(!strcasecmp(color_table[i].name,s))
+            {
+                color->pixel_float.a = color_table[i].a;
+                color->pixel_float.r = color_table[i].r;
+                color->pixel_float.g = color_table[i].g;
+                color->pixel_float.b = color_table[i].b;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+
+    }
+    return color;
+}
diff --git a/pipi/paint/line.c b/pipi/paint/line.c
index 0f2542d..0e84120 100644
--- a/pipi/paint/line.c
+++ b/pipi/paint/line.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ int pipi_draw_line(pipi_image_t *img , int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2, uint32_t
     s.x2 = x2;
     s.y2 = y2;
 
+
     /* No Transparency routine for u32 yet, fallback to float version */
     if(img->last_modified == PIPI_PIXELS_RGBA_C)
     {
diff --git a/pipi/pipi.h b/pipi/pipi.h
index c5e04fc..c781c36 100644
--- a/pipi/pipi.h
+++ b/pipi/pipi.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /*
  *  libpipi       Proper image processing implementation library
  *  Copyright (c) 2004-2008 Sam Hocevar <sam@zoy.org>
+ *                2008 Jean-Yves Lamoureux <jylam@lnxscene.org
  *                All Rights Reserved
  *
  *  $Id$
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
@@ -78,8 +80,8 @@ typedef struct
 {
     union
     {
-        struct pixel_u32   pixel_u32;
         struct pixel_float pixel_float;
+        struct pixel_u32   pixel_u32;
     };
 }
 pipi_pixel_t;
@@ -102,6 +104,9 @@ typedef struct pipi_context pipi_context_t;
 /* pipi_histogram_t: the histogram type */
 typedef struct pipi_histogram pipi_histogram_t;
 
+extern pipi_pixel_t *pipi_get_color_from_string(const char* s);
+
+
 extern pipi_context_t *pipi_create_context(void);
 extern void pipi_destroy_context(pipi_context_t *);
 extern int pipi_command(pipi_context_t *, char const *, ...);