diff --git a/pelican/log.py b/pelican/log.py
index 38747447..e6769d28 100644
--- a/pelican/log.py
+++ b/pelican/log.py
@@ -1,47 +1,83 @@
 import logging
+import sys
+import os
 
-gray = lambda(text) : '\033[1;30m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-red = lambda(text) : '\033[1;31m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-green = lambda(text) : '\033[1;32m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-yellow = lambda(text) : '\033[1;33m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-blue = lambda(text) : '\033[1;34m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-magenta = lambda(text) : '\033[1;35m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-cyan = lambda(text) : '\033[1;36m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-white = lambda(text) : '\033[1;37m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-crimson = lambda(text) : '\033[1;38m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bgred = lambda(text) : '\033[1;41m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bggreen = lambda(text) : '\033[1;42m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bgbrown = lambda(text) : '\033[1;43m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bgblue = lambda(text) : '\033[1;44m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bgmagenta = lambda(text) : '\033[1;45m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bgcyan = lambda(text) : '\033[1;46m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bggray = lambda(text) : '\033[1;47m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
-bgcrimson = lambda(text) : '\033[1;48m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
+global ANSI
+ANSI = {
+    'gray' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;30m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'red' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;31m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'green' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;32m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'yellow' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;33m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'blue' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;34m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'magenta' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;35m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'cyan' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;36m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'white' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;37m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'crimson' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;38m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bgred' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;41m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bggreen' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;42m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bgbrown' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;43m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bgblue' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;44m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bgmagenta' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;45m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bgcyan' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;46m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bggray' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;47m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m',
+    'bgcrimson' : lambda(text) : '\033[1;48m' + str(text) + '\033[1;m'
+}
 
-
-class Formatter(logging.Formatter):
+class ANSIFormatter(logging.Formatter):
+    """
+    Convert a `logging.LogReport' object into colored text, using ANSI escape sequences.
+    """
+    ## colors:
 
     def format(self, record):
-        if record.levelname is 'INFO':
-            return record.msg
+        if not record.levelname or record.levelname is 'INFO':
+            return ANSI['cyan'](record.msg)
         elif record.levelname is 'WARNING':
-            return yellow(record.levelname) + ': ' + record.msg
+            return ANSI['yellow'](record.levelname) + ': ' + record.msg
         elif record.levelname is 'ERROR':
-            return red(record.levelname) + ': ' + record.msg
+            return ANSI['red'](record.levelname) + ': ' + record.msg
         elif record.levelname is 'CRITICAL':
-            return bgred(record.levelname) + ': ' + record.msg
+            return ANSI['bgred'](record.levelname) + ': ' + record.msg
+
+
+class TextFormatter(logging.Formatter):
+    """
+    Convert a `logging.LogReport' object into text.
+    """
+
+    def format(self, record):
+        if not record.levelname or record.levelname is 'INFO':
+            return record.msg
+        else:
+            return record.levelname + ': ' + record.msg
+
+
+class Formatter(object):
+    """
+    A dummy class.
+    Return an instance of the appropriate formatter (ANSIFormatter if sys.stdout.isatty() is True, else TextFormatter)
+    """
+
+    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+        if os.isatty(sys.stdout.fileno()): # thanks to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2086961/how-can-i-determine-if-a-python-script-is-executed-from-crontab/2087031#2087031
+            return ANSIFormatter(*args, **kwargs)
+        else:
+            return TextFormatter( *args, **kwargs)
+
+
 
 def init(logger=logging.getLogger(), handler=logging.StreamHandler()):
     fmt = Formatter()
     handler.setFormatter(fmt)
     logger.addHandler(handler)
-    logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
 
 init()
 
-
-logging.info('info')
-logging.warning('warning')
-logging.error('error')
-logging.critical('critical')
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    logging.basicConfig(filename='example.log',level=logging.DEBUG)
+    logging.debug('Logging test')
+    logging.info('info')
+    logging.warning('warning')
+    logging.error('error')
+    logging.critical('critical')