diff --git a/io/include/pcl/io/vtk_lib_io.h b/io/include/pcl/io/vtk_lib_io.h
index f5cbd23c1c5..9dc7a0e3d48 100644
--- a/io/include/pcl/io/vtk_lib_io.h
+++ b/io/include/pcl/io/vtk_lib_io.h
@@ -119,11 +119,14 @@ namespace pcl
     /** \brief Save a \ref PolygonMesh object given an input file name, based on the file extension
       * \param[in] file_name the name of the file to save the data to
       * \param[in] mesh the object that contains the data
+      * \param[in] binary_format if true, exported file is in binary format
+      * \return True if successful, false otherwise
       * \ingroup io
       */
-    PCL_EXPORTS int
+    PCL_EXPORTS bool
     savePolygonFile (const std::string &file_name, 
-                     const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh);
+                     const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                     const bool binary_format = true);
 
     /** \brief Load a VTK file into a \ref PolygonMesh object
       * \param[in] file_name the name of the file that contains the data
@@ -177,29 +180,38 @@ namespace pcl
     /** \brief Save a \ref PolygonMesh object into a VTK file
       * \param[in] file_name the name of the file to save the data to
       * \param[in] mesh the object that contains the data
+      * \param[in] binary_format if true, exported file is in binary format
+      * \return True if successful, false otherwise
       * \ingroup io
       */
-    PCL_EXPORTS int
+    PCL_EXPORTS bool
     savePolygonFileVTK (const std::string &file_name, 
-                        const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh);
+                        const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                        const bool binary_format = true);
 
     /** \brief Save a \ref PolygonMesh object into a PLY file
       * \param[in] file_name the name of the file to save the data to
       * \param[in] mesh the object that contains the data
+      * \param[in] binary_format if true, exported file is in binary format
+      * \return True if successful, false otherwise
       * \ingroup io
       */
-    PCL_EXPORTS int
+    PCL_EXPORTS bool
     savePolygonFilePLY (const std::string &file_name, 
-                        const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh);
+                        const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                        const bool binary_format = true);
 
     /** \brief Save a \ref PolygonMesh object into an STL file
       * \param[in] file_name the name of the file to save the data to
       * \param[in] mesh the object that contains the data
+      * \param[in] binary_format if true, exported file is in binary format
+      * \return True if successful, false otherwise
       * \ingroup io
       */
-    PCL_EXPORTS int
+    PCL_EXPORTS bool
     savePolygonFileSTL (const std::string &file_name, 
-                        const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh);
+                        const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                        const bool binary_format = true);
 
     /** \brief Write a \ref RangeImagePlanar object to a PNG file
       * \param[in] file_name the name of the file to save the data to
diff --git a/io/src/vtk_lib_io.cpp b/io/src/vtk_lib_io.cpp
index 983d9c277eb..e00bd79d97a 100644
--- a/io/src/vtk_lib_io.cpp
+++ b/io/src/vtk_lib_io.cpp
@@ -74,26 +74,21 @@ pcl::io::loadPolygonFile (const std::string &file_name, pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh)
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-int
-pcl::io::savePolygonFile (const std::string &file_name, const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh)
+bool
+pcl::io::savePolygonFile (const std::string &file_name,
+                          const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                          const bool binary_format)
 {
-  // TODO: what about binary/ASCII modes?!?!?!
   // TODO: what about sensor position and orientation?!?!?!?
-  // TODO: how to adequately catch exceptions thrown by the vtk writers?!
   std::string extension = file_name.substr (file_name.find_last_of (".") + 1);
-  if (extension == "pcd") // no Polygon, but only a point cloud
-  {
-    int error_code = pcl::io::savePCDFile (file_name, mesh.cloud);
-    if (error_code != 0)
-      return (0);
-    return (static_cast<int> (mesh.cloud.width * mesh.cloud.height));
-  }
+  if (extension == "pcd")  // no Polygon, but only a point cloud
+    return (pcl::io::savePCDFile (file_name, mesh.cloud, Eigen::Vector4f::Zero (), Eigen::Quaternionf::Identity (), binary_format) == 0);
   else if (extension == "vtk")
-   return (pcl::io::savePolygonFileVTK (file_name, mesh));
+    return (pcl::io::savePolygonFileVTK (file_name, mesh, binary_format));
   else if (extension == "ply")
-   return (pcl::io::savePolygonFilePLY (file_name, mesh));
-  else if (extension == "stl" )
-    return (pcl::io::savePolygonFileSTL (file_name, mesh));
+    return (pcl::io::savePolygonFilePLY (file_name, mesh, binary_format));
+  else if (extension == "stl")
+    return (pcl::io::savePolygonFileSTL (file_name, mesh, binary_format));
   else
   {
     PCL_ERROR ("[pcl::io::savePolygonFile]: Unsupported file type (%s)\n", extension.c_str ());
@@ -171,8 +166,10 @@ pcl::io::loadPolygonFileSTL (const std::string &file_name, pcl::PolygonMesh& mes
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-int
-pcl::io::savePolygonFileVTK (const std::string &file_name, const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh)
+bool
+pcl::io::savePolygonFileVTK (const std::string &file_name,
+                             const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                             const bool binary_format)
 {
   vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData> poly_data = vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData>::New ();
 
@@ -184,15 +181,19 @@ pcl::io::savePolygonFileVTK (const std::string &file_name, const pcl::PolygonMes
 #else
   poly_writer->SetInputData (poly_data);
 #endif
-  poly_writer->SetFileName (file_name.c_str ());
-  poly_writer->Write ();
 
-  return (static_cast<int> (mesh.cloud.width * mesh.cloud.height));
+  if (!binary_format)
+    poly_writer->SetFileTypeToASCII ();
+
+  poly_writer->SetFileName (file_name.c_str ());
+  return (poly_writer->Write ());
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-int
-pcl::io::savePolygonFilePLY (const std::string &file_name, const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh)
+bool
+pcl::io::savePolygonFilePLY (const std::string &file_name,
+                             const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                             const bool binary_format)
 {
   vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData> poly_data = vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData>::New ();
 
@@ -204,16 +205,20 @@ pcl::io::savePolygonFilePLY (const std::string &file_name, const pcl::PolygonMes
 #else
   poly_writer->SetInputData (poly_data);
 #endif
+
+  if (!binary_format)
+    poly_writer->SetFileTypeToASCII ();
+
   poly_writer->SetFileName (file_name.c_str ());
 	poly_writer->SetArrayName ("Colors");
-  poly_writer->Write ();
-
-  return (static_cast<int> (mesh.cloud.width * mesh.cloud.height));
+  return (poly_writer->Write ());
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-int
-pcl::io::savePolygonFileSTL (const std::string &file_name, const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh)
+bool
+pcl::io::savePolygonFileSTL (const std::string &file_name,
+                             const pcl::PolygonMesh& mesh,
+                             const bool binary_format)
 {
   vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData> poly_data = vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData>::New ();
 
@@ -224,10 +229,12 @@ pcl::io::savePolygonFileSTL (const std::string &file_name, const pcl::PolygonMes
 #else
   poly_writer->SetInputData (poly_data);
 #endif
-  poly_writer->SetFileName (file_name.c_str ());
-  poly_writer->Write ();
 
-  return (static_cast<int> (mesh.cloud.width * mesh.cloud.height));
+  if (!binary_format)
+    poly_writer->SetFileTypeToASCII ();
+
+  poly_writer->SetFileName (file_name.c_str ());
+  return (poly_writer->Write ());
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////