diff --git a/pubs/color.py b/pubs/color.py
index f00d1f9..45ef268 100644
--- a/pubs/color.py
+++ b/pubs/color.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import re
 import os
 
 def _color_supported(stream):
-    """Returns True is the stream supports colors"""
+    """Return True is the stream supports colors"""
     if sys.platform == 'win32' and 'ANSICON' not in os.environ:
         return False
     if hasattr(stream, 'isatty') and stream.isatty(): # we have a tty
@@ -20,7 +20,17 @@ def _color_supported(stream):
 
 COLOR_LIST = [u'black', u'red', u'green', u'yellow', u'blue', u'purple', u'cyan', u'grey']
 
-def generate_colors(stream, color=True, bold=True, italic=True):
+def generate_colors(stream, color=True, bold=True, italic=True, force_colors=False):
+    """Generate colors, based on configuration and detected support
+
+    :param color:         generate colors. If False, bold and italic will not change
+                          the current color.
+    :param bold:          generate bold colors, if False, bold color are the same as
+                          normal colors.
+    :param italic:        generate italic colors
+    :param force_colors:  generate colors whether support is detected or not. Will not
+                          overrride the `color` parameter.
+    """
     colors =            {name: u'' for name in COLOR_LIST}
     colors.update({u'b' +name: u'' for name in COLOR_LIST})
     colors.update({u'i' +name: u'' for name in COLOR_LIST})
@@ -30,7 +40,9 @@ def generate_colors(stream, color=True, bold=True, italic=True):
     colors[u'end']    = u''
     colors[u'']       = u''
 
-    if (color or bold or italic) and _color_supported(stream):
+    color_support = force_colors or _color_supported(stream)
+
+    if (color or bold or italic) and color_support:
         bold_flag, italic_flag = '', ''
         if bold:
             colors['bold'] = u'\033[1m'
@@ -64,27 +76,32 @@ def generate_colors(stream, color=True, bold=True, italic=True):
 COLORS_OUT = generate_colors(sys.stdout, color=False, bold=False, italic=False)
 COLORS_ERR = generate_colors(sys.stderr, color=False, bold=False, italic=False)
 
+
 def dye_out(s, color='end'):
+    """Color a string for output on stdout"""
     return u'{}{}{}'.format(COLORS_OUT[color], s, COLORS_OUT['end'])
 
 def dye_err(s, color='end'):
+    """Color a string for output on stderr"""
     return u'{}{}{}'.format(COLORS_ERR[color], s, COLORS_OUT['end'])
 
-def _nodye(s, *args, **kwargs):
-    return s
 
-def setup(conf):
+def setup(conf, force_colors=False):
+    """Prepare color for stdout and stderr"""
     global COLORS_OUT, COLORS_ERR
-    COLORS_OUT = generate_colors(sys.stdout, color=conf['formating']['color'],
-                                             bold=conf['formating']['bold'],
-                                             italic=conf['formating']['italics'])
-    COLORS_ERR = generate_colors(sys.stderr, color=conf['formating']['color'],
-                                             bold=conf['formating']['bold'],
-                                             italic=conf['formating']['italics'])
+    COLORS_OUT = generate_colors(sys.stdout, force_colors=force_colors,
+                                 color=conf['formating']['color'],
+                                 bold=conf['formating']['bold'],
+                                 italic=conf['formating']['italics'])
+    COLORS_ERR = generate_colors(sys.stderr, force_colors=force_colors,
+                                 color=conf['formating']['color'],
+                                 bold=conf['formating']['bold'],
+                                 italic=conf['formating']['italics'])
     for key, value in conf['theme'].items():
         COLORS_OUT[key] = COLORS_OUT.get(value, '')
         COLORS_ERR[key] = COLORS_ERR.get(value, '')
 
+
 # undye
 undye_re = re.compile('\x1b\[[;\d]*[A-Za-z]')
 
diff --git a/pubs/pubs_cmd.py b/pubs/pubs_cmd.py
index 3c450b1..e06edce 100644
--- a/pubs/pubs_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/pubs_cmd.py
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ def execute(raw_args=sys.argv):
     conf_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="pubs", add_help=False)
     conf_parser.add_argument("-c", "--config", help="path to config file",
                              type=str, metavar="FILE")
+    conf_parser.add_argument('--force-colors', dest='force_colors',
+                             action='store_true', default=False,
+                             help='color are not disabled when piping to a file or other commands')
     #conf_parser.add_argument("-u", "--update", help="update config if needed",
     #                         default=False, action='store_true')
     top_args, remaining_args = conf_parser.parse_known_args(raw_args[1:])
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ def execute(raw_args=sys.argv):
         conf = config.load_default_conf()
         conf.filename = conf_path
 
-    uis.init_ui(conf)
+    uis.init_ui(conf, force_colors=top_args.force_colors)
     ui = uis.get_ui()
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="research papers repository",
diff --git a/pubs/uis.py b/pubs/uis.py
index 587db98..4951af4 100644
--- a/pubs/uis.py
+++ b/pubs/uis.py
@@ -44,19 +44,19 @@ def get_ui():
     return _ui
 
 
-def init_ui(conf):
+def init_ui(conf, force_colors=False):
     global _ui
-    _ui = InputUI(conf)
+    _ui = InputUI(conf, force_colors=force_colors)
 
 
 class PrintUI(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, conf):
+    def __init__(self, conf, force_colors=False):
         """
         :param conf: if None, conservative default values are used.
                      Useful to instanciate the UI before parsing the config file.
         """
-        color.setup(conf)
+        color.setup(conf, force_colors=force_colors)
         self.encoding = _get_encoding(conf)
         self._stdout  = codecs.getwriter(self.encoding)(_get_raw_stdout(),
                                                         errors='replace')
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ class InputUI(PrintUI):
     """UI class. Stores configuration parameters and system information.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, conf):
-        super(InputUI, self).__init__(conf)
+    def __init__(self, conf, force_colors=False):
+        super(InputUI, self).__init__(conf, force_colors=force_colors)
         self.editor = conf['main']['edit_cmd'] or _get_local_editor()
 
     def input(self):