diff --git a/exe/Main.idr b/exe/Main.idr
index 2ee4c6d..45a377d 100644
--- a/exe/Main.idr
+++ b/exe/Main.idr
@@ -27,13 +27,18 @@ die opts err = do
   ignore $ fPutStr stderr $ render opts err
   exitFailure
 
+private
+hlFor : HLType -> OutFile -> HL -> Highlight
+hlFor Guess Console = highlightSGR
+hlFor Guess _       = noHighlight
+hlFor NoHL  _       = noHighlight
+hlFor Term  _       = highlightSGR
+hlFor Html  _       = highlightHtml
+
 private
 runPretty : Options -> Eff Pretty a -> a
 runPretty opts act =
-  let doColor = opts.color && opts.outFile == Console
-      hl      = if doColor then highlightSGR else noHighlight
-  in
-  runPrettyWith Outer opts.flavor hl 2 act
+  runPrettyWith Outer opts.flavor (hlFor opts.hlType opts.outFile) 2 act
 
 private
 putErrLn : HasIO io => String -> io ()
@@ -133,7 +138,7 @@ private
 outputStr : Lazy String -> Eff Compile ()
 outputStr str =
   case !(asksAt OPTS outFile) of
-    None    => pure ()
+    NoOut   => pure ()
     Console => putStr str
     File f  => do
       res <- withFile f WriteTruncate pure $ \h => fPutStr h str
@@ -187,6 +192,7 @@ oneMain []    = throw NoMain
 oneMain [x]   = pure x
 oneMain mains = throw $ MultipleMains mains
 
+
 private
 processFile : String -> Eff Compile ()
 processFile file = withEarlyStop $ do
diff --git a/exe/Options.idr b/exe/Options.idr
index 3efac83..a4f329f 100644
--- a/exe/Options.idr
+++ b/exe/Options.idr
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import Derive.Prelude
 %language ElabReflection
 
 public export
-data OutFile = File String | Console | None
+data OutFile = File String | Console | NoOut
 %name OutFile f
 %runElab derive "OutFile" [Eq, Ord, Show]
 
@@ -28,10 +28,15 @@ allPhases = %runElab do
   cs <- getCons $ fst !(lookupName "Phase")
   traverse (check . var) cs
 
+||| "guess" is Term for a terminal and NoHL for a file
+public export
+data HLType = Guess | NoHL | Term | Html
+%runElab derive "HLType" [Eq, Ord, Show]
+
 public export
 record Options where
   constructor MkOpts
-  color   : Bool
+  hlType  : HLType
   outFile : OutFile
   until   : Maybe Phase
   flavor  : Pretty.Flavor
@@ -49,7 +54,7 @@ defaultWidth = do
 export
 defaultOpts : IO Options
 defaultOpts = pure $ MkOpts {
-  color   = True,
+  hlType  = Guess,
   outFile = Console,
   until   = Nothing,
   flavor  = Unicode,
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ data OptAction = ShowHelp HelpType | Err String | Ok (Options -> Options)
 
 private
 toOutFile : String -> OptAction
-toOutFile ""  = Ok {outFile := None}
+toOutFile ""  = Ok {outFile := NoOut}
 toOutFile "-" = Ok {outFile := Console}
 toOutFile f   = Ok {outFile := File f}
 
@@ -85,6 +90,14 @@ toWidth s = case parsePositive s of
   Just n  => Ok {width := n}
   Nothing => Err "invalid width: \{show s}"
 
+private
+toHLType : String -> OptAction
+toHLType str = case toLower str of
+  "none" => Ok {hlType := NoHL}
+  "term" => Ok {hlType := Term}
+  "html" => Ok {hlType := Html}
+  _      => Err "unknown highlighting type \{str}\ntypes: term, html, none"
+
 private
 commonOptDescrs' : List (OptDescr OptAction)
 commonOptDescrs' = [
@@ -105,10 +118,8 @@ extraOptDescrs = [
     "use ascii syntax when printing",
   MkOpt [] ["width"] (ReqArg toWidth "<width>")
     "max output width (defaults to terminal width)",
-  MkOpt [] ["color", "colour"] (NoArg $ Ok {color := True})
-    "use colour output (default)",
-  MkOpt [] ["no-color", "no-colour"] (NoArg $ Ok {color := False})
-    "don't use colour output"
+  MkOpt [] ["color", "colour"] (ReqArg toHLType "<type>")
+    "select highlighting type"
 ]
 
 private
@@ -123,10 +134,10 @@ allOptDescrs    = commonOptDescrs' ++ extraOptDescrs ++ helpOptDescrs
 
 export
 usageHeader : String
-usageHeader = joinBy "\n" [
-  "quox [options] [file.quox ...]",
-  "rawr"
-]
+usageHeader = trim """
+quox [options] [file.quox ...]
+rawr
+"""
 
 export
 usage : List (OptDescr _) -> IO a
diff --git a/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr b/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr
index ac62adb..11aab94 100644
--- a/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr
+++ b/lib/Quox/Pretty.idr
@@ -92,14 +92,32 @@ export %inline
 highlightSGR : HL -> Highlight
 highlightSGR h = MkHighlight (escapeSGR $ toSGR h) (escapeSGR [Reset])
 
+export %inline
+toClass : HL -> String
+toClass Delim    = "dl"
+toClass Free     = "fr"
+toClass TVar     = "tv"
+toClass TVarErr  = "tv err"
+toClass Dim      = "dc"
+toClass DVar     = "dv"
+toClass DVarErr  = "dv err"
+toClass Qty      = "qt"
+toClass Universe = "un"
+toClass Syntax   = "sy"
+toClass Constant = "co"
+
+export %inline
+highlightHtml : HL -> Highlight
+highlightHtml h = MkHighlight #"<span class="\#{toClass h}">"# "</span>"
+
+
+export %inline
+runPrettyHL : (HL -> Highlight) -> Eff Pretty a -> a
+runPrettyHL f = runPrettyWith Outer Unicode f 2
 
 export %inline
 runPretty : Eff Pretty a -> a
-runPretty = runPrettyWith Outer Unicode noHighlight 2
-
-export %inline
-runPrettyColor : Eff Pretty a -> a
-runPrettyColor = runPrettyWith Outer Unicode highlightSGR 2
+runPretty = runPrettyHL noHighlight
 
 
 export %inline