diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 42d85af..199bca6 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var wifQR bytes.Buffer
-	if err := qr.Encode(wif, &wifQR); err != nil {
+	if err := qr.Copy(&wifQR, strings.NewReader(wif)); err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Could not generate QR code for WIF: %s", err.Error())
 		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
 	var pubAddressQR bytes.Buffer
 
-	if err := qr.Encode(pubAddress, &pubAddressQR); err != nil {
+	if err := qr.Copy(&pubAddressQR, strings.NewReader(pubAddress)); err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Could not generate QR code for pubAddress: %s", err.Error())
 		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
diff --git a/qr/encode.go b/qr/encode.go
index a0e9030..dfe722a 100644
--- a/qr/encode.go
+++ b/qr/encode.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package qr
 
 import (
 	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 
 	"rsc.io/qr"
 )
@@ -9,52 +10,74 @@ import (
 const blackSquare = "\033[40m  \033[0m"
 const whiteSquare = "\033[47m  \033[0m"
 
+var newLine = []byte("\n")
+
 type encodingParams struct {
 	Level     qr.Level
+	Reader    io.Reader
 	Writer    io.Writer
 	BlackChar string
 	WhiteChar string
 }
 
 //Creates a QR that can be displayed on a terminal
-func encode(text string, params encodingParams) error {
+func encode(params encodingParams) error {
 	w := params.Writer
 	white := params.WhiteChar
 	black := params.BlackChar
+	var text string
+
+	if b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(params.Reader); err == nil {
+		text = string(b)
+	} else {
+		return err
+	}
 	code, err := qr.Encode(text, params.Level)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	w.Write([]byte(white))
+	textVersion := qrToText(code, []byte(white), []byte(black))
+	_, err = w.Write(textVersion)
+	return err
+}
+
+func qrToText(code *qr.Code, white, black []byte) []byte {
+
+	textVersion := white
 	for i := 0; i <= code.Size; i++ {
-		w.Write([]byte(white))
+		textVersion = append(textVersion, white...)
 	}
-	w.Write([]byte("\n"))
+	textVersion = append(textVersion, newLine...)
 
 	for i := 0; i <= code.Size; i++ {
-		w.Write([]byte(white))
+		textVersion = append(textVersion, white...)
 		for j := 0; j <= code.Size; j++ {
 			if code.Black(i, j) {
-				w.Write([]byte(black))
+				textVersion = append(textVersion, black...)
 			} else {
-				w.Write([]byte(white))
+				textVersion = append(textVersion, white...)
 			}
 		}
-		w.Write([]byte("\n"))
+		textVersion = append(textVersion, newLine...)
 	}
-	return err
+
+	textVersion = append(textVersion, newLine...)
+	return textVersion
 }
 
-//Encode encodes the given text as a QR code, the QR is written
-//on the given writer
-func Encode(text string, w io.Writer) error {
+//Copy encodes the given reader as a QR code in text mode and copies it
+//to the given writer
+func Copy(w io.Writer, r io.Reader) error {
+
+	//func Encode(text string, w io.Writer) error {
 	params := encodingParams{
 		Level:     qr.L,
+		Reader:    r,
 		Writer:    w,
 		BlackChar: blackSquare,
 		WhiteChar: whiteSquare,
 	}
-	return encode(text, params)
+	return encode(params)
 }
diff --git a/qr/encode_test.go b/qr/encode_test.go
index 58c648d..10fa0f0 100644
--- a/qr/encode_test.go
+++ b/qr/encode_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package qr
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ func TestQRWritingDoesNotFail(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			w := &bytes.Buffer{}
-			if err := Encode(tt.args.text, w); (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+			if err := Copy(w, strings.NewReader(tt.args.text)); (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
 				t.Errorf("Encode() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
 			}