diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a9a2eff..f6a1b2d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ some more practical uses would be things like:
 * "unquote" function for dialogues, game title, anything else that supports """
 * add Bitsy HD and Bitsy 7.0 test data
 * fix variables/endings becoming "DLG DLG"?
-* dedupe "animation frames from string" functionality
+* replace Image with Vec<u8> or something. seems like a pointless abstraction
 
 ### tidy up
 
diff --git a/src/image.rs b/src/image.rs
index a46e63e..09343ec 100644
--- a/src/image.rs
+++ b/src/image.rs
@@ -45,13 +45,24 @@ impl ToString for Image {
     }
 }
 
+#[inline]
+pub(crate) fn animation_frames_from_string(string: String) -> Vec<Image> {
+    print!("animation frames: \n{}", string);
+    let frames: Vec<&str> = string.split(">").collect();
+
+    frames.iter().map(|&frame| Image::from(frame.to_string())).collect()
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
-    use crate::image::Image;
+    use crate::image::{Image, animation_frames_from_string};
+    use crate::mock;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_image_from_string() {
-        let output = Image::from(include_str!("test-resources/image").to_string());
+        let output = Image::from(
+            include_str!("test-resources/image").to_string()
+        );
 
         let expected = Image {
             pixels: vec![
@@ -71,8 +82,19 @@ mod test {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_image_to_string() {
-        let output = crate::mock::image::chequers_1().to_string();
+        let output = mock::image::chequers_1().to_string();
         let expected = include_str!("test-resources/image-chequers-1").to_string();
         assert_eq!(output, expected);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_animation_frames_from_string() {
+        let output = animation_frames_from_string(
+            include_str!("test-resources/animation_frames").to_string()
+        );
+
+        let expected = mock::image::animation_frames();
+
+        assert_eq!(output, expected);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/item.rs b/src/item.rs
index 09578ff..33b737d 100644
--- a/src/item.rs
+++ b/src/item.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::{from_base36, optional_data_line, AnimationFrames, Image, ToBase36};
+use crate::image::animation_frames_from_string;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Item {
@@ -51,13 +52,9 @@ impl From<String> for Item {
             }
         }
 
-        // todo dedupe
-        let animation_frames = lines[1..].join("");
-        let animation_frames: Vec<&str> = animation_frames.split(">").collect();
-        let animation_frames: Vec<Image> = animation_frames
-            .iter()
-            .map(|&frame| Image::from(frame.to_string()))
-            .collect();
+        let animation_frames = animation_frames_from_string(
+            lines[1..].join("\n")
+        );
 
         Item {
             id,
diff --git a/src/mock.rs b/src/mock.rs
index 86f244c..e12770e 100644
--- a/src/mock.rs
+++ b/src/mock.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,60 @@ pub mod image {
             ],
         }
     }
+    
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn animation_frames() -> Vec<Image> {
+        vec![
+            Image {
+                pixels: vec![
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                ]
+            },
+            Image {
+                pixels: vec![
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                ]
+            },
+            Image {
+                pixels: vec![
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                ]
+            },
+            Image {
+                pixels: vec![
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                    0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,
+                    0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,
+                    1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,
+                    1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,
+                ]
+            },
+        ]
+    }
 }
 
 #[inline]
diff --git a/src/sprite.rs b/src/sprite.rs
index bdd4a74..22df26b 100644
--- a/src/sprite.rs
+++ b/src/sprite.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::{from_base36, optional_data_line, AnimationFrames, Image, Position, ToBase36};
+use crate::image::animation_frames_from_string;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Sprite {
@@ -94,13 +95,9 @@ impl From<String> for Sprite {
 
         items.reverse();
 
-        // todo dedupe
-        let animation_frames = lines[1..].join("");
-        let animation_frames: Vec<&str> = animation_frames.split(">").collect();
-        let animation_frames: Vec<Image> = animation_frames
-            .iter()
-            .map(|&frame| Image::from(frame.to_string()))
-            .collect();
+        let animation_frames = animation_frames_from_string(
+            lines[1..].join("\n")
+        );
 
         Sprite {
             id,
diff --git a/src/test-resources/animation_frames b/src/test-resources/animation_frames
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c44bb89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test-resources/animation_frames
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+10011001
+00110011
+01100110
+11001100
+10011001
+00110011
+01100110
+11001100
+>
+11001100
+10011001
+00110011
+01100110
+11001100
+10011001
+00110011
+01100110
+>
+01100110
+11001100
+10011001
+00110011
+01100110
+11001100
+10011001
+00110011
+>
+00110011
+01100110
+11001100
+10011001
+00110011
+01100110
+11001100
+10011001
diff --git a/src/tile.rs b/src/tile.rs
index 060c903..cc5801d 100644
--- a/src/tile.rs
+++ b/src/tile.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::{from_base36, optional_data_line, AnimationFrames, Image, ToBase36};
+use crate::image::animation_frames_from_string;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Tile {
@@ -60,12 +61,9 @@ impl From<String> for Tile {
             }
         }
 
-        let animation_frames = lines[1..].join("");
-        let animation_frames: Vec<&str> = animation_frames.split(">").collect();
-        let animation_frames: Vec<Image> = animation_frames
-            .iter()
-            .map(|&frame| Image::from(frame.to_string()))
-            .collect();
+        let animation_frames = animation_frames_from_string(
+            lines[1..].join("\n")
+        );
 
         Tile {
             id,