diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 11e37d2..162102f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ a library for parsing Bitsy game data.
 * sprite from
 * sprite to
 * item from
+* item to
 
 ## todo
 
 ### functions
 
-* item to
 * room from
 * room to
 * dialogue from
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9472dfb..683b724 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -61,6 +61,28 @@ fn test_sprite() -> Sprite {
     }
 }
 
+fn test_item() -> Item {
+    Item {
+        id: "6".to_string(),
+        animation_frames: vec![
+            Image {
+                pixels: vec![
+                    0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+                    0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,
+                    0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,
+                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+                    0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,
+                ]
+            }
+        ],
+        name: Some("door".to_string()),
+        dialogue: Some("ITM_2".to_string())
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 struct Colour {
     red:   u8,
@@ -510,38 +532,38 @@ fn item_from_string(string: String) -> Item {
         }
     }
     
+    // todo dedupe
     let animation_frames = lines[1..].join("");
-    // print!("{}", animation_frames);
     let animation_frames: Vec<&str> = animation_frames.split("\n>\n").collect();
     let animation_frames: Vec<Image> = animation_frames.iter().map(|&frame| {
         image_from_string(frame.to_string())
     }).collect();
     
-    Item { id, name, animation_frames, dialogue}
+    Item { id, name, animation_frames, dialogue }
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn test_item_from_string() {
     let output = item_from_string("ITM 6\n01000000\n00000000\n00000000\n00000100\n00100000\n00000000\n00000000\n00000010\nNAME door\nDLG ITM_2".to_string());
-    let expected = Item {
-        id: "6".to_string(),
-        animation_frames: vec![
-            Image {
-                pixels: vec![
-                    0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-                    0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,
-                    0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,
-                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-                    0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-                    0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,
-                ]
-            }
-        ],
-        name: Some("door".to_string()),
-        dialogue: Some("ITM_2".to_string())
-    };
+    let expected = test_item();
+    
+    assert_eq!(output, expected);
+}
+
+fn item_to_string(item: Item) -> String {
+    format!(
+        "ITM {}\n{}{}{}", 
+        item.id, 
+        animation_frames_to_string(item.animation_frames),
+        if item.name.is_some() {format!("\nNAME {}", item.name.unwrap())} else {"".to_string()},
+        if item.dialogue.is_some() {format!("\nDLG {}", item.dialogue.unwrap())} else {"".to_string()},
+    )
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_item_to_string() {
+    let output = item_to_string(test_item());
+    let expected = "ITM 6\n01000000\n00000000\n00000000\n00000100\n00100000\n00000000\n00000000\n00000010\nNAME door\nDLG ITM_2".to_string();
     
     assert_eq!(output, expected);
 }