diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py b/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py
index 6f8f70fb55..f0ea36a8c3 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/adaptivescalar.py
@@ -195,22 +195,19 @@ def topDownCompute(self, encoded):
     return super(AdaptiveScalarEncoder, self).topDownCompute(encoded)
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    """
-    Prints details about current state to stdout.
-    """
-    print "AdaptiveScalarEncoder:"
-    print "  min: %f" % self.minval
-    print "  max: %f" % self.maxval
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
-    print "  resolution: %f" % self.resolution
-    print "  radius:     %f" % self.radius
-    print "  periodic: %s" % self.periodic
-    print "  nInternal: %d" % self.nInternal
-    print "  rangeInternal: %f" % self.rangeInternal
-    print "  padding: %d" % self.padding
-
+  def __str__(self):
+    string = "AdaptiveScalarEncoder:"
+    string += "  min: {minval}".format(minval = self.minval)
+    string += "  max: {maxval}".format(maxval = self.maxval)
+    string += "  w:   {w}".format(w = self.w)
+    string += "  n:   {n}".format(n = self.n)
+    string += "  resolution: {resolution}".format(resolution = self.resolution)
+    string += "  radius:     {radius}".format(radius = self.radius)
+    string += "  periodic: {periodic}".format(periodic = self.periodic)
+    string += "  nInternal: {nInternal}".format(nInternal = self.nInternal)
+    string += "  rangeInternal: {rangeInternal}".format(rangeInternal = self.rangeInternal)
+    string += "  padding: {padding}".format(padding = self.padding)
+    return string
 
   @classmethod
   def read(cls, proto):
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py b/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py
index dc24714506..036c8cea81 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/coordinate.py
@@ -185,10 +185,11 @@ def _bitForCoordinate(cls, coordinate, n):
     return rng.getUInt32(n)
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    print "CoordinateEncoder:"
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
+  def __str__(self):
+    string = "CoordinateEncoder:"
+    string += "\n  w:   {w}".format(w=self.w)
+    string += "\n  n:   {n}".format(n=self.n)
+    return string
 
 
   @classmethod
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py b/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py
index a1cbd4a4d2..1d9b508ec4 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/geospatial_coordinate.py
@@ -132,10 +132,11 @@ def radiusForSpeed(self, speed):
     return max(radius, minRadius)
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    print "GeospatialCoordinateEncoder:"
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
+  def __str__(self):
+    string = "GeospatialCoordinateEncoder:"
+    string += "\n  w:   {w}".format(w=self.w)
+    string += "\n  n:   {n}".format(n=self.n)
+    return string
 
 
   @classmethod
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py b/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py
index 201b75ec77..e34db933e4 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/random_distributed_scalar.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 
 import math
 import numbers
-import pprint
 import sys
 
 import numpy
@@ -153,7 +152,7 @@ def __init__(self, resolution, w=21, n=400, name=None, offset=None,
       self.name = "[%s]" % (self.resolution)
 
     if self.verbosity > 0:
-      self.dump()
+      print(self)
 
 
   def __setstate__(self, state):
@@ -440,20 +439,21 @@ def _permutation(n):
     self.numTries = 0
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    print "RandomDistributedScalarEncoder:"
-    print "  minIndex:   %d" % self.minIndex
-    print "  maxIndex:   %d" % self.maxIndex
-    print "  w:          %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:          %d" % self.getWidth()
-    print "  resolution: %g" % self.resolution
-    print "  offset:     %s" % str(self._offset)
-    print "  numTries:   %d" % self.numTries
-    print "  name:       %s" % self.name
+  def __str__(self):
+    string =  "RandomDistributedScalarEncoder:"
+    string += "\n  minIndex:   {min}".format(min = self.minIndex)
+    string += "\n  maxIndex:   {max}".format(max = self.maxIndex)
+    string += "\n  w:          {w}".format(w = self.w)
+    string += "\n  n:          {width}".format(width = self.getWidth())
+    string += "\n  resolution: {res}".format(res = self.resolution)
+    string += "\n  offset:     {offset}".format(offset = str(self._offset))
+    string += "\n  numTries:   {tries}".format(tries = self.numTries)
+    string += "\n  name:       {name}".format(name = self.name)
     if self.verbosity > 2:
-      print "  All buckets:     "
-      pprint.pprint(self.bucketMap)
-
+      string += "\n  All buckets:     "
+      string += "\n  "
+      string += str(self.bucketMap)
+    return string
 
   @classmethod
   def read(cls, proto):
diff --git a/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py b/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py
index fa007fccef..6065237cf0 100644
--- a/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py
+++ b/src/nupic/encoders/scalar.py
@@ -699,18 +699,19 @@ def closenessScores(self, expValues, actValues, fractional=True):
     return numpy.array([closeness])
 
 
-  def dump(self):
-    print "ScalarEncoder:"
-    print "  min: %f" % self.minval
-    print "  max: %f" % self.maxval
-    print "  w:   %d" % self.w
-    print "  n:   %d" % self.n
-    print "  resolution: %f" % self.resolution
-    print "  radius:     %f" % self.radius
-    print "  periodic: %s" % self.periodic
-    print "  nInternal: %d" % self.nInternal
-    print "  rangeInternal: %f" % self.rangeInternal
-    print "  padding: %d" % self.padding
+  def __str__(self):
+    string = "ScalarEncoder:"
+    string += "  min: {minval}".format(minval = self.minval)
+    string += "  max: {maxval}".format(maxval = self.maxval)
+    string += "  w:   {w}".format(w = self.w)
+    string += "  n:   {n}".format(n = self.n)
+    string += "  resolution: {resolution}".format(resolution = self.resolution)
+    string += "  radius:     {radius}".format(radius = self.radius)
+    string += "  periodic: {periodic}".format(periodic = self.periodic)
+    string += "  nInternal: {nInternal}".format(nInternal = self.nInternal)
+    string += "  rangeInternal: {rangeInternal}".format(rangeInternal = self.rangeInternal)
+    string += "  padding: {padding}".format(padding = self.padding)
+    return string
 
 
   @classmethod