diff --git a/src/factory/printer.cpp b/src/factory/printer.cpp
index 7c13f61..4afaee4 100644
--- a/src/factory/printer.cpp
+++ b/src/factory/printer.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
 #if defined(__linux__) || defined(__APPLE__)
 #include <unistd.h>
 #define HAVE_ISATTY
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <deque>
 
 #include <epicsTime.h>
+#include <epicsString.h>
 
 #define epicsExportSharedSymbols
 #include <pv/bitSet.h>
@@ -436,4 +438,57 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const PVStructure::Formatter& forma
     return strm;
 }
 
+static char hexdigit(char c) {
+    c &= 0xf;
+    if(c<9)
+        return '0'+c;
+    else
+        return 'A'+c-10;
+}
+
+escape::~escape() {}
+
+std::string escape::str() const
+{
+    std::ostringstream strm;
+    strm<<(*this);
+    return strm.str();
+}
+
+epicsShareFunc
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const escape& Q)
+{
+    for(size_t pos = 0, len = Q.orig.size(); pos < len; pos++) {
+        const char C = Q.orig[pos];
+        char quote = '\\', next;
+        // compare me with epicsStrnEscapedFromRaw()
+        switch(C) {
+        case '\a': next = 'a'; break;
+        case '\b': next = 'b'; break;
+        case '\f': next = 'f'; break;
+        case '\n': next = 'n'; break;
+        case '\r': next = 'r'; break;
+        case '\t': next = 't'; break;
+        case '\v': next = 'v'; break;
+        case '\\': next = '\\'; break;
+        case '\'': next = '\''; break;
+        case '\"': next = '\"'; if(Q.S==escape::CSV) quote = '"'; break;
+        default:
+            if(!isprint(C)) {
+                // print three charator escape
+                strm<<"\\x"<<hexdigit(C>>4)<<hexdigit(C);
+            } else {
+                // literal
+                strm.put(C);
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+        // print two charactor escape
+        strm.put(quote);
+        strm.put(next);
+    }
+
+    return strm;
+}
+
 }} //epics::pvData
diff --git a/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h b/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h
index cc31ca6..c6519ea 100644
--- a/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h
+++ b/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h
@@ -208,6 +208,35 @@ static FORCE_INLINE
 typename detail::print_convolute<T>::return_t
 print_cast(const T& v) { return detail::print_convolute<T>::op(v); }
 
+class escape;
+
+epicsShareFunc
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const escape& Q);
+
+//! Helper to print a string with escaping
+//! @code strm<<'"'<<escape(astring)<<'"' @endcode
+struct epicsShareClass escape
+{
+    enum style_t {
+        C,   // default
+        CSV, // a la RFC4180
+    };
+private:
+    const std::string& orig;
+    style_t S;
+public:
+    escape(const std::string& orig) :orig(orig), S(C) {}
+    ~escape();
+    //! Change escaping style
+    inline escape& style(style_t s) { S = s; return *this; }
+    //! print to string and return.  (alloc and copy)
+    std::string str() const;
+
+    friend
+    epicsShareFunc
+    std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const escape& Q);
+};
+
 }} // end namespace
 
 #endif // PVTYPECAST_H
diff --git a/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp b/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp
index 11ad9e7..81bcfd4 100644
--- a/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp
+++ b/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ typedef std::vector<std::string> lines_t;
 
 namespace {
 
+struct SB {
+    std::ostringstream strm;
+    operator std::string() { return strm.str(); }
+    template<typename T>
+    SB& operator<<(const T& v) {
+        strm<<v;
+        return *this;
+    }
+};
+
 lines_t lines(const std::string& str)
 {
     lines_t ret;
@@ -41,13 +51,6 @@ lines_t lines(const std::string& str)
     return ret;
 }
 
-std::string escape(const std::string& inp) {
-    size_t N = epicsStrnEscapedFromRawSize(inp.c_str(), inp.size());
-    std::vector<char> esc(N+1, '\0'); // include space for trailing nil
-    epicsStrnEscapedFromRaw(&esc[0], esc.size(), inp.c_str(), inp.size());
-    return std::string(&esc[0]);
-}
-
 std::string print(const pvd::PVStructure::Formatter& fmt)
 {
     std::ostringstream strm;
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ testDiff(const std::string& expect, const std::string& actual, const std::string
 
     while(L<lhs.size() && R<rhs.size()) {
         if(lhs[L]==rhs[R]) {
-            ret<<"  "<<escape(lhs[L])<<'\n';
+            ret<<"  "<<pvd::escape(lhs[L])<<'\n';
             L++;
             R++;
 
@@ -100,9 +103,9 @@ testDiff(const std::string& expect, const std::string& actual, const std::string
             }
 
             for(size_t l=L; l<Lp; l++)
-                ret<<"- "<<escape(lhs[l])<<'\n';
+                ret<<"- "<<pvd::escape(lhs[l])<<'\n';
             for(size_t r=R; r<Rp; r++)
-                ret<<"+ "<<escape(rhs[r])<<'\n';
+                ret<<"+ "<<pvd::escape(rhs[r])<<'\n';
             L = Lp;
             R = Rp;
             // loop around and print matching line
@@ -110,9 +113,9 @@ testDiff(const std::string& expect, const std::string& actual, const std::string
     }
 
     for(; L<lhs.size(); L++)
-        ret<<"- "<<escape(lhs[L])<<'\n';
+        ret<<"- "<<pvd::escape(lhs[L])<<'\n';
     for(; R<rhs.size(); R++)
-        ret<<"+ "<<escape(rhs[R])<<'\n';
+        ret<<"+ "<<pvd::escape(rhs[R])<<'\n';
 
     return ret;
 }
@@ -229,13 +232,28 @@ void testRaw()
                      ));
 }
 
+void testEscape()
+{
+    testDiag("%s", CURRENT_FUNCTION);
+
+    testEqual("hello world", std::string(SB()<<pvd::escape("hello world")));
+    testEqual("hello\\nworld", std::string(SB()<<pvd::escape("hello\nworld")));
+    testEqual("hello\\\"world", std::string(SB()<<pvd::escape("hello\"world")));
+    testEqual("hello\\x7Fworld", std::string(SB()<<pvd::escape("hello\x7Fworld")));
+
+    testEqual("hello\"\"world", std::string(SB()<<pvd::escape("hello\"world").style(pvd::escape::CSV)));
+
+    testEqual("hello\"\"world", pvd::escape("hello\"world").style(pvd::escape::CSV).str());
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 MAIN(testprinter)
 {
-    testPlan(0);
+    testPlan(14);
     showNTScalarNumeric();
     showNTScalarString();
     testRaw();
+    testEscape();
     return testDone();
 }