diff --git a/src/common/utilities/load_save.cpp b/src/common/utilities/load_save.cpp
index 90faed778..b20d2b887 100644
--- a/src/common/utilities/load_save.cpp
+++ b/src/common/utilities/load_save.cpp
@@ -185,7 +185,10 @@ void reloadMesh(
 	loadMesh(filename, ioPlugin, prePar, meshList, masks, cb);
 }
 
-void loadRaster(const QString& filename, RasterModel& rm, GLLogStream* log, vcg::CallBackPos* cb)
+QImage loadImage(
+		const QString& filename,
+		GLLogStream* log,
+		vcg::CallBackPos* cb)
 {
 	QFileInfo fi(filename);
 	QString extension = fi.suffix();
@@ -194,15 +197,40 @@ void loadRaster(const QString& filename, RasterModel& rm, GLLogStream* log, vcg:
 
 	if (ioPlugin == nullptr)
 		throw MLException(
-				"Raster " + filename + " cannot be opened. Your MeshLab version "
+				"Image " + filename + " cannot be opened. Your MeshLab version "
 				"has not plugin to read " + extension + " file format.");
 
 	ioPlugin->setLog(log);
-	QImage loadedImage = ioPlugin->openImage(extension, filename, cb);
+	return ioPlugin->openImage(extension, filename, cb);
+}
+
+void saveImage(
+		const QString& filename,
+		const QImage& image,
+		GLLogStream* log,
+		vcg::CallBackPos* cb)
+{
+	QFileInfo fi(filename);
+	QString extension = fi.suffix();
+	PluginManager& pm = meshlab::pluginManagerInstance();
+	IOPlugin *ioPlugin = pm.outputImagePlugin(extension);
+
+	if (ioPlugin == nullptr)
+		throw MLException(
+				"Image " + filename + " cannot be saved. Your MeshLab version "
+				"has not plugin to save " + extension + " file format.");
+
+	ioPlugin->setLog(log);
+	ioPlugin->saveImage(extension, filename, image, cb);
+}
+
+void loadRaster(const QString& filename, RasterModel& rm, GLLogStream* log, vcg::CallBackPos* cb)
+{
+	QImage loadedImage = loadImage(filename, log, cb);
 	rm.setLabel(filename);
 	rm.addPlane(new RasterPlane(loadedImage, filename, RasterPlane::RGBA));
 
-	// Read the JPEG file into a buffer
+	// Read the file into a buffer
 	FILE *fp = fopen(qUtf8Printable(filename), "rb");
 	if (!fp) {
 		QString errorMsgFormat = "Exif Parsing: Unable to open file:\n\"%1\"\n\nError details: file %1 is not readable.";
@@ -225,7 +253,7 @@ void loadRaster(const QString& filename, RasterModel& rm, GLLogStream* log, vcg:
 	int code = ImageInfo.parseFrom(buf, fsize);
 	delete[] buf;
 	if (!code) {
-		ioPlugin->log(GLLogStream::FILTER, "Warning: unable to parse exif for file  %s", qPrintable(filename));
+		log->log(GLLogStream::FILTER, "Warning: unable to parse exif for file " + filename);
 	}
 
 	if (code && ImageInfo.FocalLengthIn35mm==0.0f)
diff --git a/src/common/utilities/load_save.h b/src/common/utilities/load_save.h
index 6c52cca4b..3eab98aa5 100644
--- a/src/common/utilities/load_save.h
+++ b/src/common/utilities/load_save.h
@@ -53,6 +53,17 @@ void reloadMesh(
 		GLLogStream* log = nullptr,
 		vcg::CallBackPos* cb = nullptr);
 
+QImage loadImage(
+		const QString& filename,
+		GLLogStream* log = nullptr,
+		vcg::CallBackPos *cb = nullptr);
+
+void saveImage(
+		const QString& filename,
+		const QImage& image,
+		GLLogStream* log = nullptr,
+		vcg::CallBackPos* cb = nullptr);
+
 void loadRaster(
 		const QString& filename,
 		RasterModel& rm,