diff --git a/collects/redex/HISTORY b/collects/redex/HISTORY
index 27bde4a65f..555d9a7a6a 100644
--- a/collects/redex/HISTORY
+++ b/collects/redex/HISTORY
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ v4.2
   - added white-bracket-sizing to control how the brackets
     are typeset when rendering a metafunction.
 
+  - added render-* functions that make it easier to experiment
+    with typesetting at the REPL.
+
 v4.1 (this is the first version that was included in the PLT
       distribution. Before this, Redex was in PLaneT).
 
diff --git a/collects/redex/pict.ss b/collects/redex/pict.ss
index b26fb97032..cfe27898f0 100644
--- a/collects/redex/pict.ss
+++ b/collects/redex/pict.ss
@@ -21,10 +21,9 @@
   (->d ([rel reduction-relation?])
        ([file (or/c false/c path-string?)]
         #:style [style reduction-rule-style/c])
-       [result (lambda (x)
-                 (if (path-string? file)
-                     (void? x)
-                     (pict? x)))])]
+       [result (if (path-string? file)
+                   void?
+                   pict?)])]
  [reduction-relation->pict (->* (reduction-relation?)
                                 (#:style reduction-rule-style/c)
                                 pict?)]
@@ -37,10 +36,9 @@
   (->d ([lang compiled-lang?])
        ([file (or/c false/c path-string?)]
         #:nts [nts (or/c false/c (listof (or/c string? symbol?)))])
-       [result (lambda (x) 
-                 (if (path-string? file)
-                     (void? x)
-                     (pict? x)))])])
+       [result (if (path-string? file)
+                   void?
+                   pict?)])])
 
 ; syntax
 (provide metafunction->pict
diff --git a/collects/redex/private/bitmap-test.ss b/collects/redex/private/bitmap-test.ss
index 7b91078e4c..0746e6f8fd 100644
--- a/collects/redex/private/bitmap-test.ss
+++ b/collects/redex/private/bitmap-test.ss
@@ -1,50 +1,53 @@
-(module bitmap-test mzscheme
-  (require "bitmap-test-util.ss"
-           "../main.ss")
-  
-  ;; tests: 
-  ;;  - language,
-  ;;  - multi-line non-terminals, single-line non-terminals
-  (define-language lang
-    (e (e e) 
-       x
-       (λ (x) e)
-       number)
-    (v number (λ (x) e))
-    ((x y) variable-not-otherwise-mentioned))
-  (test (render-language lang) "language.png")
-  
-  (define-extended-language lang++ lang
-    (e .... number (+ e e))
-    (v .... number))
-  
-  (test (render-language lang++) "extended-language.png")
-  
-  (define red
-    (reduction-relation
-     lang
-     (--> ((λ (x) e) v) (S x v e))))
-  
-  ;; tests: reduction-relation
-  (test (render-reduction-relation red)
-        "reduction-relation.png")
+#lang scheme
+(require "bitmap-test-util.ss"
+         "../main.ss")
 
-  (test (render-reduction-relation 
-         (extend-reduction-relation red lang (--> 1 2)))
-        "extended-reduction-relation.png")
-  
-  (define-metafunction lang
-    [(S x v e) e])
-  
-  (test (render-metafunction S)
-        "metafunction.png")
-  
-  ;; in this test, teh `x' is italic and the 'z' is sf, since 'x' is in the grammar, and 'z' is not.
-  (test (render-lw 
-         lang 
-         (to-lw ((λ (x) (x x))
-                 (λ (z) (z z)))))
-        "lw.png")
-  
-  (printf "bitmap-test.ss: ")
-  (done))
+;; tests: 
+;;  - language,
+;;  - multi-line non-terminals, single-line non-terminals
+(define-language lang
+  (e (e e) 
+     x
+     (λ (x) e)
+     number)
+  (v number (λ (x) e))
+  ((x y) variable-not-otherwise-mentioned))
+
+(test (render-language lang) "language.png")
+
+(test (render-language lang #:nts '(e v)) "language-nox.png")
+
+(define-extended-language lang++ lang
+  (e .... number (+ e e))
+  (v .... number))
+
+(test (render-language lang++) "extended-language.png")
+
+(define red
+  (reduction-relation
+   lang
+   (--> ((λ (x) e) v) (S x v e))))
+
+;; tests: reduction-relation
+(test (render-reduction-relation red)
+      "reduction-relation.png")
+
+(test (render-reduction-relation 
+       (extend-reduction-relation red lang (--> 1 2)))
+      "extended-reduction-relation.png")
+
+(define-metafunction lang
+  [(S x v e) e])
+
+(test (render-metafunction S)
+      "metafunction.png")
+
+;; in this test, teh `x' is italic and the 'z' is sf, since 'x' is in the grammar, and 'z' is not.
+(test (render-lw 
+       lang 
+       (to-lw ((λ (x) (x x))
+               (λ (z) (z z)))))
+      "lw.png")
+
+(printf "bitmap-test.ss: ")
+(done)
diff --git a/collects/redex/private/bmps/language-nox.png b/collects/redex/private/bmps/language-nox.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..107fbde941
Binary files /dev/null and b/collects/redex/private/bmps/language-nox.png differ
diff --git a/collects/redex/redex.scrbl b/collects/redex/redex.scrbl
index cadbb8c47d..fcb19a9600 100644
--- a/collects/redex/redex.scrbl
+++ b/collects/redex/redex.scrbl
@@ -1191,14 +1191,13 @@ are otherwise setting @scheme[dc-for-text-size].  }
 Produce a pict like @scheme[render-language], but without
 adjust @scheme[dc-for-text-size].
 
-This function is
-primarily designed to be used with Slideshow or with
-other tools that combine picts together.
+This function is primarily designed to be used with
+Slideshow or with other tools that combine picts together.
 }
 
 @defproc[(render-reduction-relation [rel reduction-relation?]
-                          [file (or/c false/c path-string?) #f]
-                          [#:style style reduction-rule-style/c (rule-pict-style)])
+                                    [file (or/c false/c path-string?) #f]
+                                    [#:style style reduction-rule-style/c (rule-pict-style)])
          (if file void? pict?)]{
 
 Renders a reduction relation. If @scheme[file] is @scheme[#f],