diff --git a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.cpp b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.cpp
index 0a580b7b0..06ac52a5e 100755
--- a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.cpp
+++ b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.cpp
@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ void Print::println(const __FlashStringHelper *ifsh)
   println();
 }
 
+void Print::print(const Printable& x)
+{
+  x.printTo(*this);
+}
+
 void Print::println(void)
 {
   print('\r');
@@ -177,6 +182,12 @@ void Print::println(double n, int digits)
   println();
 }
 
+void Print::println(const Printable& x)
+{
+  print(x);
+  println();
+}
+
 // Private Methods /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 void Print::printNumber(unsigned long n, uint8_t base) {
diff --git a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.h b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.h
index a4477535b..bf10b1477 100755
--- a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.h
+++ b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Print.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h> // for size_t
 
 #include "WString.h"
+#include "Printable.h"
 
 #define DEC 10
 #define HEX 16
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ class Print
     void print(long, int = DEC);
     void print(unsigned long, int = DEC);
     void print(double, int = 2);
+    void print(const Printable&);
 
     void println(const __FlashStringHelper *);
     void println(const String &s);
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ class Print
     void println(long, int = DEC);
     void println(unsigned long, int = DEC);
     void println(double, int = 2);
+    void println(const Printable&);
     void println(void);
 };
 
diff --git a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Printable.h b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Printable.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d332aad1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/Printable.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+  Printable.h - Interface class that allows printing of complex types
+  Copyright (c) 2011 Adrian McEwen.  All right reserved.
+
+  This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+  modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+  License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+  version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+  This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+  Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+  License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+  Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+*/
+
+#ifndef Printable_h
+#define Printable_h
+
+class Print;
+
+/** The Printable class provides a way for new classes to allow themselves to be printed.
+    By deriving from Printable and implementing the printTo method, it will then be possible
+    for users to print out instances of this class by passing them into the usual
+    Print::print and Print::println methods.
+*/
+class Printable
+{
+  public:
+    virtual void printTo(Print& p) const = 0;
+};
+
+#endif
+
diff --git a/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.cpp b/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.cpp
index 610ff4c53..77928b5cb 100644
--- a/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.cpp
+++ b/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.cpp
@@ -42,3 +42,13 @@ bool IPAddress::operator==(const uint8_t* addr)
     return memcmp(addr, _address, sizeof(_address)) == 0;
 }
 
+void IPAddress::printTo(Print& p) const
+{
+    for (int i =0; i < 3; i++)
+    {
+        p.print(_address[i], DEC);
+        p.print('.');
+    }
+    p.print(_address[3], DEC);
+}
+
diff --git a/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.h b/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.h
index 487e420bd..7dd520351 100644
--- a/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.h
+++ b/libraries/Ethernet/IPAddress.h
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 #ifndef IPAddress_h
 #define IPAddress_h
 
+#include <Printable.h>
+
 // A class to make it easier to handle and pass around IP addresses
 
-class IPAddress {
+class IPAddress : public Printable {
 private:
     uint8_t _address[4];  // IPv4 address
     // Access the raw byte array containing the address.  Because this returns a pointer
@@ -58,6 +60,8 @@ public:
     IPAddress& operator=(const uint8_t *address);
     IPAddress& operator=(uint32_t address);
 
+    virtual void printTo(Print& p) const;
+
     friend class EthernetClass;
     friend class UDP;
     friend class Client;